Colorful Carnation: Flowers Drinking Water!

Materials:

• white carnation
• scissors or knife
• 2 glasses
• water
• red and blue food coloring

Procedure:

1. Get a white carnation with a long stem.
2. With help from an adult, very carefully cut the carnation's stem lengthwise, from the bottom to about halfway up to the flower.
3. Now fill 2 glasses with water.
4. Use food coloring to color the water in one of the glasses dark red.
5. Color the water in the other glass dark blue.
6. Put the glasses right next to each other.
7. Check the carnation a day later, and 2 days later.
8. Can you tell that the carnation has been drinking the water? You'll notice that the water travels up the tubes into the stem to reach the other parts of the plant.

Source: 1001 Ways to Explore Science and Nature