Nearly all trees, shrubs, vegetables, and flowers started as seeds. Seeds need water, warmth, and air to grow. A root forms first then the stem grows upward toward light. Seeds grow better in some soils than others. Food for the plant is made in the leaves.
Leaves can be soft or hard, even hairy.
Leaves change sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. The stem of the leaf turns it toward the sun. The broad, flat part of a leaf is called the blade. A blade of grass and a pine needle are also leaves. Every plant has its own distinctive kind of leaf.