Plants,Plants and

MorePlants

ULEVEL: Grades 10-12

SUBJECTS: Science, Career Education, Language Arts,Social Studies, Math

AZ ACADEMIC STANDARDS: R-E2, W-P4, LS-P3, SCHS-S1C1, SCHS-S1C2 SCHS-S1C3, SCHS-S4C3, SCHS-S4C4

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONStudents explore thevarious types of plantsused in landscapes,and the variousmethods ofpropagation.

OBJECTIVESStudents will be ableto:a. Identify, name, andlist at least 10 plantsthat are shrubs, trees,or groundcovers usedin landscaping.b. Categorize theplants as: Shrubs,trees or groundcovers. c. Name and explaincareers associatedwith the landscapeindustry.d. Research aselected landscapeplant commonly usedtoday in Arizona.e. Explain plantpropagationprocedures andpropagate plantsusing the variousmethods studied.

ESTIMATED TEACHING TIME5 to 6 sessions of 50to 55 minutes.

Arizona Grown Specialty Crop Lesson Plan

MATERIALSCD produced by University of Arizona on desertlandscape plants. Samplesof landscape plants inpots. Landscape plantsaround the school andcommunity. Various bookson landscape plants.Samples of seeds, plantparts such as cuttings,roots, rhizomes, stolons,and leaves. Various sizesof pots used in plantpropagation. Potting soil,perlite, rock wool cubesand vermiculite.

VOCABULARYpropagation, stolon,cutting, rhizome, bulb,hormone, seed, leaf, soil,bacteria, perlite,vermiculite, reproduction,species, shrub, woody,gametes, nodegermination, stratification,scarification, sexual,asexual, perennial, annual,cloning.

RELATED LESSONSIf it Smells Good, is Edibleand Attracts Wildlife, Thenit’s a Practical Garden!Where do They Go?Don’t Wait, JustPropagate!Let’s Make StewHow do Plants MakeFood?Survival of the FittestGetting to the Root of theMatter

This Can’t be a PlantSoggy SeedsPlant Seedling

SUPPORTING INFORMATIONLandscaping of residential areasis a booming business today.Various types of plants are usedin this business. Landscapinginvolves knowing the type of plantto be used, the purpose of theuses and the environment inwhich the plant will be used.People in the landscape industryneed to have a variety ofknowledge and skills. Plants areusually grown from seed, or partsof the plant such as roots, leaves,stems, bulbs or rhizomes.Knowledge of the form ofpropagation is very important ingrowing plants. Landscape plantscan be placed into three broadcategories, these are: shrubs,trees and ground covers. Plantscan be annuals, which meansthey grow for only one season, orperennials which grow year roundfor many years. A person workingin landscaping or a nursery needsto know the types of plants thatare best suited for the area andare adapted to the weather, aswell as soil conditions. Theexplosion of housing communitiesin our state has increased theavailability of jobs for peopleinvolved in landscaping. Severaltypes of jobs exist in the nurserybusiness such as NurseryManager, Botanist, Soil Scientist,Plant Production Manager, PestController, Sales Persons as well

SUPPORTINGINFORMATION (cont’d)as Semi-drivers who deliverthe products all over theUnited States.Landscape plants canreproduce sexually andasexually. Sexualreproduction involves theproduction of a seed after aflower is pollinated. The malesperm or pollen grain uniteswith the female ovule to forma seed. This process occursin the flower of the plant.Some plants produce a fruitor a pod to protect the seeds.Seeds may need to bescarified or stratified for themoisture to enter the seed soit can germinate. This can bedone using several methods.These are Mechanical - inwhich files or hammers areused to scratch or chip theseed coat, hot water bath- inwhich seeds are placed inwater 77 to 100 degreesCelsius for 12 to 24 hoursuntil the water cools, Acidscarification- in which driedseeds are placed in a glasscontainer and covered withsulfuric acid. Depending onthe species the treatmenttime varies from 10 minutesto 6 hours. High Temperaturescarification- in which seedsare exposed to fire. Somespecies of seeds require theheat to melt the seed coat.Flowers can be separatedinto two groups - Completeand Incomplete. Completeflowers have both male andfemale parts and Incompleteflowers have one of thesexual reproductive partsmissing. The seed carries thegenetic material from both themale and female and thus thenew plant will have somesimilarities as well asdifferences in the new plant.Asexual reproduction ofplants involve various plantparts such as, cuttings,leaves, roots, rhizomes,bulbs, and tubers. Nogametes or reproductive

sexual cells are involved inthis method. This is similar tocloning in that the new plantproduced with be an exactreplica of the parent plant.Several groups of plants areused in landscaping as theyserve different purposes. Thethree main groups of plantsare trees, shrubs, andgroundcovers.A tree is a perennial woodyplant that has a main trunkand a distinct crown andbranches. Trees growanywhere from 10 tohundreds of feet tall and havevarious diameter sizes. Treesare divided into two groupswith regards to landscaping,Deciduous and Evergreens.Deciduous trees loose alltheir leaves in the fall.Evergreen trees remain greenyear-round. Trees providemany things we need tosurvive. They give us oxygen,wood, shade, fruits and nuts,color to the landscape,homes for animals, and evenmedicines.Trees can be used to provideshade or protection in alandscaped area. The mostimportant thing to knowbefore planting a tree is howbig the tree will be when it isfull grown. Next you need toknow the purpose or use ofthe tree. If you need shade inthe summer and sunlight inthe winter you want to selecta deciduous tree for thatarea. On the other hand if youneed year-round shade or apermanent windbreak orprivacy, you want to select anevergreen tree. If you areselecting fruit trees, you maywant to check with a nurseryfor the trees that are suitablefor your area and will survivein that climate. A few tips forselecting trees: pick a treebased on use or purpose,plant trees that are native orhave adapted to the area.Exotic or imported trees mayor may not survive in yourarea. Find out from a nursery

if the tree requires muchpruning. Select trees thatneed very little or no pruningto avoid much work. Alsoinquire from the nurserywhether the tree makes amess when fruiting, blooming,or shedding leaves or bark.Nurseries are a suitablesource for trees. They providebare-roots, trees with no soilon the roots. Also they supplytrees in plastic containersfrom 1 gallon sizes to 15gallon. You may evenpurchase trees in woodenboxes. These trees areusually 10 to 15 feet tall.Trees are best transplanted inearly spring or fall.Unlike trees that have a maintrunk, shrubs are small woodyplants that have severalstems and grow about 6 to 10feet tall. Shrubs may bepurchased at a nursery inthree categories. Deciduous-these shed their leaves in thewinter. Example: MexicanBird of Paradise. Broad-leaved evergreen, whichhave wide not narrow needle-like leaves. Example:Rhododendron. Needleleafed evergreens, theseremain green year round.Example: Juniper. Shrubscan be purchased from anursery as bare roots, plantedin baskets, or in plasticcontainers. Shrubs can beused as barriers, windbreaks,for privacy, to add color or asaccents. When purchasing ashrub consider the purpose oruse of the shrub. Also keep inmind the size of the plant andthe amount of light it needs.Groundcovers are plants thatgrow close to the ground. Themost common groundcoversare grasses. Grasses areused in many areas, such asfootball fields, baseball fields,golf courses, andplaygrounds. A few reasonswhy grasses are used inthese areas are that grasseswithstand traffic, keep dust

SUPPORTINGINFORMATION (cont’d)down, prevent soil from beingwashed away, make the area look attractive, and donot need to be replantedevery year. Two types ofgrasses that are grown inArizona are the commonBermuda and Winter Rye.Bermuda is grown in thespring/summer season andthe rye in the winter. Otherlow growing plants such asIvy, Myoporium, and Lantanaare also used asgroundcovers. These areusually grown in areas wheregrass is not needed or can’t grow. These plants also helpcontrol soil erosion. They canbe obtained from mostnurseries and come indifferent shapes, sizes andcolors. Most of thesegroundcovers are used inareas to enhance theaesthetics or make yardkeeping chores easier sincethey require lowmaintenance.

GETTING STARTEDCollect and display severalsamples of landscape plantsthat include trees, shrubs,and groundcovers. Examplesare: Rosemary, Lantana,Texas Ranger, Bird ofParadise, Sweet Acacia.Acacia Salicina, FeatheryAcacia, Myoporium, andmesquite. These can be inone or five gallon containers.

PROCEDURESSession One: PlantReproductionIntroduction:Show students the display oflandscape plants.Ask them where have theyseen such plants? (at anursery, in peoples yards,along the roadsides, etc.)Ask students to compare theplants and list differences.(size, shape, flowers, color ofleaves, etc.)

Ask students how they thinkpeople in the nurserybusiness propagate theseplants? (Most likely answerwill be from seeds)Handout sheets with picturesof seeds, cuttings, bulbs,rhizomes, leaves (succulent)and have as many realsamples as possible. Askstudents if they think all theseparts can grow into a newplant? (probably yes)Step 1: ReproductionAsk students what isreproduction in living things.(producing young ones)Why do animals and plantsneed to reproduce? (To keepthe species alive)Discuss with studentsasexual and sexualreproduction in plants.(Asexual: no male or femalereproductive cells. Sexual:include male and femalereproductive cells, the egg,and sperm.)Ask students where in a plantdo they think the reproductivecells are produced? (answersmay vary, looking for flower)Step 2. Parts of a flowerPass out sheet with picture ofa flower along with a sampleof a flower. Direct students toslowly remove the parts of thereal flower and match it withthe picture. Use overhead toassist students in matchingthe parts. Explain the functionof each part. Explain tostudents that this is acomplete flower because ithas both male and femaleparts. Explain thatreproduction in plants withthese types of flowers isconsidered the sexualmethod because male andfemale gametes are present.Thus the seed has geneticmaterials from a female andmale plant and as a result willhave some similarities anddifferences in the new plant.Conclude by comparing thisto animal and humanreproduction where two cellsunite to form a new organism.

In animals and plants themale produces the sperm andthe female the egg. In plantspollen is the male cell, ovulesare similar to the egg.Session Two: Plants fromPlant PartsGetting Started:Have samples of youngplants growing from leaves,cuttings, seeds, bulbs, roots. If possible have samples forstudents to see and touch.Have sample of roothormone, pieces of plant andshears to demonstrate how tomake a cutting..

Procedure:Step 1Place a scenario beforestudents using examples ofplants that do not produceseed that can be planted.Example: Rosebush. How dowe reproduce these plants?Some may have the answers.(Using a piece of the plant ora leaf or root etc.). Showsample of a cutting from astem and a plant growingfrom such (e.g. Rosemary,Oleander, Texas Ranger,African Violet leaf)Ask students to explain whatthey see. (parts of a plant)Have them name them (roots,leaf, seed, etc.)Do you think these plant partscan grow into a new plant? Yes.Tell students this is Asexualreproduction.Ask students to explain whatis Asexual Reproduction. (Nogametes are involved). Askstudents what they think isbetter about this method thanusing seeds. (A similar plantwill grow from the plant part).Explain that this is a form ofcloning because an identicalorganism will grow from theplant part.Step 2. Cuttings and leafpropagationPass out Handout 2 withsteps in propagating stemsand leaf cuttings. Askindividual students to read

out to the class each step,discuss with class.

PROCEDURES (cont’d)Emphasize that the cuttingmust have at least two nodes.Ask students why this isimportant? (For root andshoot growth).Step 3: Making cuttingsDemonstrate to students howto make a stem cutting, a leafcutting and a tip cutting. Havematerials in two or threestations and have studentsperform a leaf cutting, tipcutting and a medial cuttingfor planting.After all students are donewith cuttings, have them dip itin the rooting hormone and place in prepared trays ofmoist growing medium suchas perlite or vermiculite andplace trays in an area wherethey will have the neededrequirements to root. (If youhave a school greenhouseask to borrow a little space toplace these.)Have students do weeklyobservation on the cuttings tosee if they are still green.They need to note when thefirst leaf appears on thecutting. After 5 to 6 weekshave students remove thecuttings from the growingmedia and observe the rootgrowth.Conclude by reviewing thefact that Asexual reproductionis similar to cloning. Anidentical plant will beproduced from the stockused.Session 3:Growing plants from seeds:Step 1Review parts of the completeflower using an overhead.Have individual studentscome up to label a part andstate its function. Have abunch of Red Kidney beansthat have been soakedovernight, enough for at least2 per student. Show studentsthe dry seeds and the soakedseeds. Have students

compare them and explainwhat happened. Soakedbeans look larger than dryones. Seed coat in some isbreaking. Ask: how do youthink water entered the seed?Answers may vary. Showpoint of attachment andexplain that this is the areawhere a microscopic holeexists that allows the water toenter the seed.Step 2Parts of a bean seedProvide students with papertowel sheets and a soakedbean seed. Ask them toremove the seed coatcarefully and split the beanseed in its two sectionscarefully as not to damagethe baby plant inside. Askstudents to make a drawingof the two halves and whatthey see inside each one.Use a similar drawing of whatthey see in the bean seed onthe overhead and label theparts and write down thefunction of each part.(handout provided)Step 3Propagating seedsPass out the handout onseed germination. Selectstudents to read eachsection. Discuss with theclass. Why soak the seed?Discuss reasons to stratify orscarify seeds? Ask how thismight occur in nature. (Seedpasses through the digestivesystem of an animal, seed isbounced around by animalsor wind or water). Provideseveral growing media, suchas perlite, vermiculite, pottingsoil, and 6 or 8 ouncestyrofoam cups for growingcontainers, several seedsand have students decide ifthey think the seeds need tobe scarified or stratified. Havestudents plant at least threeseeds, one in each styrofoamcup, label and date and placein a tray which will be placedin an area where the seedscan germinate. (Ifgreenhouse is available place

in a section of thegreenhouse). Have studentsobserve what happens after 7days, keep up observation forat least 3 weeks. Have themrecord shoot growth for eachseed planted.Conclude by emphasizing thefactors needed by the seedsto grow: water, air, warmth.Have students observe atleast every three days afterseeds begin to germinate.Have them measure andcompare the growth of thedifferent seedlings.Session 4:Plants that are groundcovers,shrubs and trees.Introduction:Have samples ofgroundcovers, shrubs, andtrees in containers forstudents to observe andcompare. Include a sample ortwo of grasses.Ask students to compare theplants, as to size, shape,color and maybe use. Askthem if they have seen any ofthese in landscapes.(answers may vary)Select the samples ofgrasses and ask students toname places where these areused.Examples: football fields, golfcourses and on playgrounds.Ask students to list reasonswhy these grasses classifiedas groundcovers are used inthese areas?Reasons:Can withstand traffic, keepdust down, prevent soil fromwashing away, makes it lookpretty, does not need to bereplanted every year.Show samples of shrubsused as groundcovers. Havestudents compare the use ofthese grasses.These cannot be walked on,do not need to be mowed,can grow in areas wheregrasses cannot grow, alsohelp control erosion, needminimum maintenance, comein many shapes, sizes, and

colors. They can be lowgrowing, to creeping vines.These grasses andgroundcovers are usuallyused in areas to enhance thebeauty of an area or lightenyard keeping chores.Shrubs:Show samples of the shrubsto the students. Have themexplain what they think is ashrub.Explain that shrubs areavailable in three categories:a. Deciduousb. Broad-leaved evergreensc. Needle leafed evergreensRefer students to theinformation section to explainwhat is a deciduous, broad-leaf evergreen, and a needleleaf evergreen.Shrubs can be purchasedfrom a nursery as:a. Bare roots covered inburlapb. Planted in basketsc. In plastic containersWhen planting shrubs selecthealthy looking plants. Theseare best if transplanted inearly spring or fall so as notto subject them to hightemperature and intensesunlight.Conclude by listing thefactors to consider whenselecting shrubs forlandscaped areas. Select theshrub you need for thespecific area. Keep in mindthe size of the plant, the soiltype, the amount of light andthe purpose or use of theshrub.Trees:Introduction: What is a tree:Have a couple of samples oftrees in five or fifteen galloncontainers. Or use examplesof trees in the school yardand have students explainwhat is a tree. After this isdone have them comparewith the given definition andcomplete theirs.A tree is a perennial woodyplant having a main trunk anda distinctive crown. Canusually grow from ten to

hundreds of feet tall andvarious diameter sizes.Trees can be divided into twogroups:Deciduous: lose their leavesin the fall.Evergreens: remain green allthe time.Elicit from students reasonsfor planting trees? (Possibleanswers)a. provide oxygen for usb. provide shadec. add color in the differentseasonsd. provide habitat and food foranimals such as birds,squirrels, etc. e. can provide us with woodfor homesf. provide materials to use asmulch (leaves, branches,etc.)g. to demarcate an area(fence line)h. as a dust or windbreakWhat factors do you considerwhen planting a tree?a. The most important is toknow how big the tree willgrow. Many people make themistake of planting a little treewhich will grow into a big treetoo near the house andeventually may have toremove the tree.b. The purpose or use: If youneed shade in the summerand you need sunlight in thewinter, you may want to planta tree that is deciduous. Ifyou want year round shade ora permanent windbreak youwant to plant evergreen trees.If you are looking for fruit,select the fruit tree of yourchoice provided it can survivein the area you live.c. Pick trees that will addaccent to the landscape orhouse.d. Plant trees that areadapted to the area. Ifpossible, plant native trees asthese will thrive better in thearea. Exotic or imported treesmay not survive in areas likethe desert or cold areas.e. Select trees that do notneed much pruning.

f. Find out if the tree makes amess when fruiting, bloomingor shedding leaves or bark.Where can we get trees toplant? Nurseries usually have treesin two types:Bare root - roots have no soilaround them.In plastic containers of 15gallon size and usually about6 to 8 feet tall.In wooden boxes which mayrange from a small 10 foottree to a larger 12 to 15 foothigh tree.When is it best to transplanttrees?Like shrubs, trees are besttransplanted in early spring orearly fall.Conclusion:Trees have a longer life thanshrubs, grow bigger, andserve many purposes in ourdaily lives.Session 5: Careers inNursery: Plant PropagationInvite a Manager or Owner ofa Nursery to speak to theclass on the various jobs thatare needed to operate aNursery. Have students writedown the jobs and list thevarious knowledge, skills, andattitudes needed for each ofthe jobs mentioned. Havestudents research or ask thespeaker about the level ofschooling needed for eachjob title and the pay range foreach.Conclusion: Review therequirements for the variousjobs. Have students note thatthe jobs with more schoolinghave the highest pay range.Emphasize the importance ofcompleting high school andgoing to higher education.

EVALUATION OPTIONS! Landscape PlantProduction Quiz Sheet! Have students label partsof a flower! Have students label partsof a seed

CURRICULUM DESIGNBartolome RomeroGrades 9-12Maricopa High SchoolMaricopa UnifiedSchool District #20If you have furtherquestions or concernsyou may contact me at:bromero@musd20.org. Iwill be more than willingto assist you.Good luck and bestwishes.

! Observe students as theyparticipate in classroom labwork.

EXTENSIONS ANDVARIATIONS! Have students researchplants that have beensuccessfully introduced into Arizona landscapes.! Have students researchinvasive species of plants.

RESOURCES“Desert Landscape Plants” -CD ROM, U of A.Epple, Anne Orth - A FieldGuide to Plants of Arizona 1St. edition, Falcon Press1995.“Growing Awareness” - 5th

Annual Southwest YouthGarden Conference,February 22-23, 2002.Time Life Books. “CompleteGuide to Gardening andLandscaping”, Simon andSchuster 1991.

EDUCATORS’ NOTES

This Arizona Grown Specialty CropLesson Plan was paid for by a grantfrom the Arizona Department ofAgriculture’s Office of Marketingand Outreach.