The Usual and Unusual Things Leaves Do!

Before we dig into the unusual things that leaves can accomplish, let’s start with what ‘usual’ or most common things leaves are associated with.

The Regular Function of Leaves: Creating Food for the Plant

Leaves are mostly known for two things: green colour and photosynthesis. The leaves of most plants contain Chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green colour and plays an important role in the photosynthesis process. Here is a quick summary of what photosynthesis is:

Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight and with the help of some enzymes decomposes water into Hydrogen and Oxygen. The Hydrogen is combined with Carbon dioxide (absorbed from the air surrounding the plant) to form sugars which are the source of nourishment for the plant. The Oxygen is released into the air, which is used by animals to breathe.

Special Leaves With Unusual Functions

Finding Nutrients from Prey

In addition to the sugars produced in the process of photosynthesis, plants need other nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which they can absorb from the soil. However, in areas where the soil does not have enough amount of these nutrients, the plants resort to other means of collecting these nutrients such as catching insects. These plants, called carnivorous plants have some of the coolest leaf adaptations to catch insects and extract nutrients from them. According to the information provided by The Botanical Society of America, there are many types of traps that plants use to catch prey. For example,

Pitfall traps of pitcher plants are leaves folded into deep, slippery pools filled with digestive enzymes.
Flypaper (or sticky or adhesive traps) of sundews and butterworts are leaves covered in stalked glands that exude sticky mucilage.
Snap traps (or steel traps) of the Venus flytrap and waterwheel plant are hinged leaves that snap shut when trigger hairs are touched.

Suction traps, unique to bladderworts, are highly modified leaves in the shape of a bladder with a hinged door lined with trigger hairs

It’s important to note that these carnivorous plants only use their prey to make up for the nutrients lacking in the soil. They still create sugars through photosynthesis process to generate food, just like the regular plants.

2. Protecting the Plant from Predators

Thorny Leaves

While providing nutrients is one of the main functions of leaves, they also help sustain plants by protecting them from predators. In order to do this, leaves have adaptations like having prickly thorns to deter animals from eating the plant. Cactus is known for its thorns that can cause mechanical injury to animals that try to eat cacti leaves. Nettles contain stinging hair that are filled with histamine or other chemical. When this chemical is injected into skin, it causes severe reaction.

Poisonous Leaves

While thorns are a common way that leaves use to ward off herbivores, some plants contain poisonous chemicals to achieve this purpose. The most well-known example of poisonous leaves include poison Ivy, which has an oily sap in its leaves called urushiol. This chemical causes an allergic reaction that can make our skin red, swollen, and itchy.

Oleander are another example of poisonous plants. It is so poisonous that just one leaf is enough to kill an adult. It causes serious stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, dilated pupils, dizziness, and breathing problems.

Interested in knowing more about leaves?

Collecting and pressing leaves and flowers is a great way to learn more about the plants you encounter in nature – but it can also be very beautiful! When dried, you can study the pressed plants to learn more about them, or you can use them on cards, pictures, and more to create beautiful art.

Create a preserved pressing of a plant specimen, also called an herbarium! These dried plants let us keep plants around for years. Just keep in mind to not touch poisonous leaves when you come across such plants. The Out of the Box Outdoor Science Kit includes a perfect little activity for kids interested in knowing about leaves. In addition to this activity, the kit includes supplies for 10 more hands-on science themed activities that you can perform to learn more about natural phenomena such as the Sun, stars, etc.

Learn more

Want a challenge? Try this activity with leaves!

We often don’t think about math when we see a leaf from a tree. However, we can see math in fractals found in leaves and many other natural elements. A fractal is a never-ending geometric pattern. In a fractal, a pattern is repeated in the same way, appearing as smaller and smaller versions.

Here are details instructions on how you can spot and recreate a pattern in leaves: https://www.sasksciencecentre.com/real-science-real-fun/fractals-math-is-written-in-the-leaves