Raven's neighbor grows two big bushes covered in round flower clusters. One is blue. One is pink.
"Two different plants," Rocket says.
"Actually, they are the same kind," says the neighbor. "Bigleaf hydrangeas."
Raven kneels by the roots. "What do you notice about the soil?"
Nova scans the ground. "Something in the soil is different," she says.
Bigleaf hydrangea flowers can be blue or pink.
The color depends on the soil the plant grows in.
In soil with more acid, the flowers are blue. In soil with less acid, they are pink.
Gardeners can change the soil and change the flower color on the same plant.
So flower color in this plant is a trait shaped by the environment.
| Trait | Can the environment change it? |
|---|---|
| Flamingo feather color | ? |
| Bigleaf hydrangea flower color | ? |
| How tall and skinny a plant grows | ? |
| Whether an animal is a flamingo or a duck | ? |
Picture a pink bigleaf hydrangea in a garden.
A gardener changes the soil so it has more acid.
Later, the flowers on that same plant can turn blue.
The plant did not change kinds. Only its soil changed.
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Soil is part of a plant's environment. | ? |
| Gardeners can change hydrangea color by changing the soil. | ? |
| Every hydrangea is always pink. | ? |
Beautiful science! Check your lean test, then come back tomorrow to put it all together.