Back Off!

How Plants Guard Their "Personal Space" with Poisons

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever felt like you needed your own space? Sometimes we all need to be alone. Plants and trees need to have their own space, too. How do you get your own space? You can walk away or shut your door, but what can plants do? They can't walk or run anywhere. Plants have a different way of getting their own space. They use allelopathy.

Allelopathy is a chemical process that a plant uses to keep other plants from growing too close to it. Some plants that use allelopathy are black walnut trees, sunflowers, wormwoods, sagebrushes, and trees of heaven.

Some pine trees are allelopathic. When its needles fall onto the ground, they begin to decompose . The soil absorbs acid from the decomposing needles. This acid in the soil keeps unwanted plants from growing near the pine tree.

Reflections/Conclusions

Vocabulary

Go Outside!

Things you can try at home!

Games you can play!

Take a nature walk

Other Tree Adventures

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