Are you excited for spring every year? Many people are! After a long winter, the warmth of spring feels wonderful. Spring also brings the beauty of blooming flowers. In numerous places, tulips, daffodils, and other spring flowers burst forth in all their magnificence.
Many of our Wonder Friends already know about annuals and perennials. Annual plants grow, bloom, and die within one year. On the other hand, perennials can live for many years and bloom multiple times. They “come back” to bloom around the same time each year.
However, there are many plants that do not flower at all. Surprisingly, these are some of the oldest plants on Earth. The oldest non-flowering plants lived nearly 400 million years ago. Botanists believe that all the flowering plants we see today evolved from these ancient non-flowering plants.
Are these species of non-flowering plants still present today? Absolutely! And you have probably seen many of them.
Experts have identified 11 main types of non-flowering plants. These include liverworts, mosses, hornworts, whisk ferns, club mosses, horsetails, ferns, conifers, cycads, ginkgo, and gnetophytes.
You might already be familiar with how flowering plants reproduce. After pollination, seeds grow inside their flowers. Then, animals or wind carry the seeds to other places where they can grow. Some non-flowering plants also reproduce using seeds. However, their seeds are referred to as “naked seeds” because they are not enclosed within flowers. Conifers, cycads, gingko, and gnetophytes all have naked seeds.
Other non-flowering plants reproduce using spores. These spores are usually single-celled units of the parent plant. Spores are tiny and can usually only be seen under a microscope. Non-flowering plants release numerous spores into the air. The wind carries these spores to other areas where they can sprout and form new plants.
Even though they do not flower, non-flowering plants can still be beautiful. You might already be familiar with some gymnosperms, particularly conifers. Have you ever seen a pine, fir, or cedar tree? These are all types of conifers! They produce their “naked seeds” in special cones, just like pine cones. If you have ever seen pine trees on a snow-covered hillside, you can appreciate their evergreen beauty.
Take a look around! Non-flowering plants are all around us. While their flowering relatives might receive most of the attention, it is worth taking a second look at flowerless plants. They can be equally rewarding to observe.
Give It a Try
Are you ready to delve even deeper into the fascinating world of non-flowering plants? Ask a friend or family member to help you explore the following activities:
- Are there any gymnosperms or “naked seeds” in your local area? Take a trip outdoors with a friend or family member. If you have a nearby forest, head to a hiking trail and explore nature in search of coniferous trees. Look for cones that produce the “naked seeds” that gymnosperms use for reproduction. If you come across a pine tree, you’ll likely find pine cones scattered on the ground beneath it. Find a couple of good cones to take home and examine closely. Study the cone carefully and make a drawing of it in a nature journal to document your findings.
- Feeling up for a challenge? Try growing your own non-flowering plants. You could start your own moss garden! If you need guidance, check out the guide on How To Create, Grow, and Care for a Moss Garden. Alternatively, you can find a patch of ground and attempt to grow your own conifer tree from scratch. You can purchase a small plant from a local nursery, but make sure to ask for detailed instructions on planting and caring for your young tree. Take plenty of photos to document your progress!
- Take a look at Ferns, Mosses, Club Mosses, and Liverworts for pictures of some common non-flowering plants. Have you ever come across any of these plants before? Do any of them grow near your location? Which ones do you find most intriguing and why? Discuss with a friend or family member.
Sources of Wonder
- http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/why-do-plants-flower-when-they-flower/ (accessed 19 Sept. 2019)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnosperm (accessed 19 Sept. 2019)
- http://www.differencebetween.net/science/nature/difference-between-angiosperms-and-gymnosperms/ (accessed 19 Sept. 2019)
- http://www.infoplease.com/dk/encyclopedia/non-flowering-plants.html
- http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case4/c4facts1c.html (accessed 19 Sept. 2019)
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zgssgk7/articles/zqbcxfr (accessed 19 Sept. 2019)
- https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FR/FR31600.pdf (accessed 19 Sept. 2019)
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