Which came first the plant or the tree?All trees grow from plants over a period of time. The journey from being a plant to being a tree is an intriguing one.How would you describe a tree? Tall, strong woody bark, large leafy branches, and deep roots. That is an apt description of a tree. On the other hand, what is a plant for you? Do trees and plants look different? Of course, they do!While plants and trees belong to the Plantae kingdom, trees are just tall plants with woody tissues. Plants and trees come in different shapes and sizes. Unlike some plants that have one growing season or two seasons, trees are perennial, and they have a longer lifespan. No wonder so many old trees with huge woody trunks still exist around us. The most important difference between the two is, though every tree is a plant, every plant is not a tree.If your curiosity has been piqued, it is time to learn how plants and trees are related and what are their differences. You can also explore and unravel other wonderful mysteries on Kidadl, such as are roses edible? And are strawberries a fruit?What does ‘plant’ mean?Plants are organisms that can synthesize their own food. They have some basic parts like leaves, fruits, flowers, branches, seeds, stems, and roots. What does this remind you of? Crops in your farm, trees in your garden, or potted plants in your home? All of them are plants.There are about 390,900 annual and perennial plants across the world, most of which are the flowering kind. Plants are a range of species that vary in shapes and sizes and belong to the Plantae kingdom. This kingdom is characterized by features like limited movement, composed of multiple cells, rigid cell walls made of cellulose, and the ability to create and store food through a process known as photosynthesis.There are two kinds of plants: vascular and non-vascular. Vascular plants have vascular tissue to help transport important nutrients, water, and sugar to all parts of the plant. Vascular tissues are of two kinds: xylem and phloem.Xylem is responsible for the movement of materials from the roots to other plant parts, while phloem is responsible for the transport of nutrients all over the plant. All flowering plants fall under the vascular category. On the other hand, non-vascular plants do not have this tissue and in them, there are no plant parts like the root or stem. They usually have simpler tissues for distributing water and nutrients throughout the plant.Vascular plants are of two kinds, one that produces seeds and one that does not. Seeded vascular plants can typically produce them in the form of cones and others in form of flowers. Most seed-based plants reproduce from flowers.A plant’s structure is made up of tissues that form the root and shoot system. The shoot system includes the leaves, stems, and other structures necessary for reproduction like flowers, seeds, etc. Roots that are found beneath the soil make up the other system.Each plant part plays a vital role in the growth and development of a plant. Roots transport nitrogen, water, and other necessary chemicals to the plant. Leaves have chlorophyll to absorb sunlight to kickstart the photosynthesis process. Plants use the energy from the sunlight to break down the carbon dioxide and water available in the atmosphere to sugar (food).What does tree mean?Trees are woody plants that are differentiated from other plant species by their perennial growth and tall bark. Trees are vascular plants with both phloem and xylem tissue. This woody plant is closely related to shrubs and vines.Among plants, trees have a woody stem that lasts for years and hence is perennial like shrubs and vines. The inside of a woody plant’s trunk will have several components. First, there is the outermost layer known as the bark followed by cambium and wood. The bark is made up of dead cells that act as protection to the softer inside stem. Transportation of nutrients and water to other parts of the tree takes place via the inner bark. The bark inside is constantly growing outward and eventually becomes part of the outer bark.Cambium is a single layer of cells just outside the woody component. It is the component of the woody trunk that constantly divides inside to become new wood or xylem, and outside to become new bark. The new wood layer is referred to as the annual ring, indicative of one growing season. This is why when a tree trunk is cut, you will see multiple rings. The oldest ring is the innermost one, closest to the central point of the trunk. These rings indicate how old the tree is. Wide rings typically indicate a healthy growing condition.Trees are different from other forms of woody plants like shrubs and vines. The distinction lies in its definition. Trees are characterized as a woody plant that has a perennial stem of at least 3 in (7.6 cm) diameter, a foliage crown, and a height of at least 13.1 ft (4 m).Planted trees can be either deciduous or evergreen. An evergreen tree is one whose leaves will remain green throughout all seasons. On the other hand, deciduous tree varieties are those whose leaves fall off in every autumn season.Trees are important for the benefits they offer with regard to health and the environment. It is believed that the stem of a mature oak can be home to over 500 different insects, fungi, birds, and so on.Five Major Differences Between Plants And TreesPlants and trees may belong to the same Plantae kingdom, but there are some key differences between the two. In terms of structure, plants tend to have multiple small soft stems while trees have one large woody stem or trunk with younger branches on top.The shoot system of a plant is closer to the ground while for a tree, it is far above the lower ground.Both plants and trees come in varied forms. For instance, trees can be both straight to conical-like forms. Their height also varies greatly with some trees, like the giant sequoias, growing up to 260 ft (79. 2 m) or the coast redwood that can grow up to 367 ft (111.9 m). Plant life like grass, moss, algae, etc., grow in close proximity to the ground.The lifespan of a tree can be up to 300 years. Whereas, other members of the Plantae family can live only one season or two seasons.Plants can be both autotrophic and heterotrophic. Autotrophic plants are those that have the ability to produce their own food. Heterotrophic plants cannot create their own food and depend on other animals or plants for nutrition. Trees are autotrophic plants.Your Tree Is A Plant FirstWhen you plant a tree, you have planted a plant as well. Plants and trees belong to the same Plantae kingdom.The tree is a woody plant. Plants evolved 360 million years ago into trees. They underwent structural changes to evolve a woody tissue and then the growth of roots. First, came seedless trees that grew in moist environments.Next, evolution in plants created the seed-based plant. Plants and trees that grew from seeds were able to colonize drylands as well. These land plants most likely evolved from green algae. The tiny plants then grew a few feet tall and developed a strong stem. The wood tissues then helped in giving life to a wide variety of wood species like trees, vines, and shrubs. When many trees grew in one area, this was the formation of the large forests. Today, a wide variety of trees can be found across the world.Therefore, the tree in your backyard is a type of plant that evolved millions of years ago into this form!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for solving the difference: are trees plants? Wonderful facts for kids then why not take a look at what’s the truth: are sponges animals? Or are sponges plants, or know your food better: how is margarine made? Cool fun facts for all!
Which came first the plant or the tree?
