Leaf Facts for Kids

A Picture of Leaves with Water

    This web page contains leaf facts for kids and is an excellent resource for anyone of any age looking to learn about leaves. Our goal is to provide you with accurate, up to date facts about leaves. In addition to facts about leaves, we provide pictures of leaves and additional resources containing information about them.

    The leaf facts below will help you learn what a leaf is, how plants uses leaves, how leaves change throughout the year, how leaves are used in the photosynthesis process and other leaf facts. We hope these leaf facts are interesting and help you learn more about these organic power generating appendages.

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21 Leaf Facts for Kids

  1. A leaf is an appendage on the stem of a vascular plant.
  2. Leaves are the primary site of photosynthesis in plants.
  3. Plant cells inside of a leaf contain chloroplast and conduct the photosynthesis process.
  4. The photosynthesis process inside of a leaf converts water and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen.
  5. Leaves can have a wide variety of shapes and sizes that vary between plant species.
  6. The leaves of the aquatic common duckweed plant (Lemna minor) have some of the smallest leaves in the plant kingdom. Their leaves only reach a length between 0.04 and 0.4 inches.
  7. The leaves of the raffia palm plant (Raphia regalis) has some of the longest leaves in the plant kingdom. Their leaves can reach a length of up to 82 feet.
  8. Most plant species in the plant kingdom have green leaves.
  9. A leaf gets its green color from chlorophyll, a green pigment found in chloroplasts.
  10. Not all plant species have green leaves and can have a wide variety of other colors.
  11. For example, the Japanese Red Maple has red leaves. They’re red because they contain the red pigment anthocyanin. They do contain chlorophyll, but the higher levels of anthocyanin give the leaves a red hue.
  12. Leaves also change color as the seasons change.
  13. In the spring months, plants and trees start to bud and grow new leaves in preparation for the summer months.
  14. In the summer months, plants and trees will have leaves that are green.
  15. In the fall months, plants and trees start to absorb nutrients from their leaves in preparation for the winter months. Leaves will start to turn into many different colors, including but not limited to yellow, red and brown.
  16. In the winter months, plants and trees will be bare and have no leaves. There are exceptions, plants classified as evergreens contain leaves all year round.
  17. Plants can have one of several different types of leaves, like stipules, conifers, sheaths or fronds.
  18. Stipules (and lamina) are leaves that grow out from flowering plants (Angiospermae). An example of a flowering plant is the prairie rose (Rosa blanda) and the common daisy (Bellis perennis).
  19. Conifer are leaves that grow out from coniferous trees (Pinophyta). An example of a coniferous trees is the Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) and the mountain pine (Pinus mugo).
  20. Sheaths are leaves that grow out from grass plants (Poaceae). An example of a grass plant is the common wheat (Triticum aestivum) and Kentucky blue grass (Poa pratensis).
  21. Fronds are leaves that grow out from fern plants (Polypodiopsida). An example of fern plants is the royal fern (Osmunda regalis) and the western sword fern (Polystichum munitum).

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