Palm trees grow in places that are warm and have a lot of sunshine. They are medium-sized trees that grow in coastal regions. Palm trees often grow close to water. They are found in Florida, California, and Mexico, and some live in the desert near oases. Palm trees have long trunks that do not have many leaves until you get close to the top. Their leaves look like very big feathers. Here is a picture of a Palm leaf:
The seeds of the palm tree are in its fruit. The palm tree produces a seed called a coconut. It is brown and is spherical in shape. Here is a picture of a coconut:
So, now that you know a little about the palm tree, how do you think that this tree disperses its seeds? Remember to think about the environment of the tree, and pick the best answer of these three choices.
By Animals
No, the coconut is too big for most animals to be able to carry it. The fruit is about 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) in diameter. Most animals are too small to be able to move these seeds. Here is a hint to help you: remember where the trees live. What do they like to live near?
By Water
The answer is "Yes, but ..." The palm tree does disperse its seeds by water. The coconut is too heavy to be transported by wind and too large to be carried by animals. The coconut is hollow, and the fruit can float on water. This makes it really easy for the fruit to be moved by the currents or waves in the water. Sometimes a coconut will float along on the water until it gets pushed up onto the shore. However, the coconut usually lasts only a week or two in water before the harsh salt water spoils the seed.
By Wind
Sorry, try again! The coconut is too heavy for the wind to be able to carry it anywhere. When it falls from the tree it just drops like you do when jumping off the jungle gym. Here is a little hint to help you: the trees like to live where there is a lot of what thing?
Try Again
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