by Mary Free and Christa Watters, Extension Master Gardeners
Roots are the “hidden half” of plants, the underground structures that link them to the earth. Every plant seed contains an embryonic root, the radicle, which is the first part of the plant to emerge during germination. It burrows into the ground, becoming the primary root, which anchors the seedling. The roots absorb water and nutrients, which are transported through vascular bundles to the rest of the plant, allowing it to grow and thrive. Because roots are understood to be critical to survival, the word is often used as a metaphor for the base or origin of a belief, a structure, a whole discipline, study, or way of life. However, in the plant world, roots are one of the areas where research lagged for a long time and there are still great gaps in scientific knowledge.
Click on an image below to learn more about roots.
