Dahlia

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/dahlia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Dahlia pinnata
2. What is the native habitat?High-altitude regions of Mexico and Central America
3. Why do dahlias have so many colors and shapes?Scientists and gardeners mix different dahlias over many years. This creates new varieties with many colors, petal shapes, and sizes.
4. How do dahlias store food for winter?The dahlia has a thick tuber that stores sugars made during the growing season. This helps the plant survive cold weather and grow again in spring.

Herbaceous Perennial: A plant that lives for more than two years and dies back to the ground each winter.
Polymorphism: The occurrence of different forms, shapes, or sizes within a species or genus.
Hybridization: The process of creating new plant varieties by cross-pollinating different species or cultivars.
Tuber: A thickened, fleshy underground stem used for storing food reserves and vegetative propagation.