Plants are living things that usually make their own food from sunlight, water, and air. Unlike animals, which must eat other living things to survive, most plants can produce everything they need through a process called photosynthesis. They use the green substance in their leaves, called chlorophyll, to capture energy from the sun and turn it into food.

Plants include everything from tiny moss growing on rocks to massive redwood trees that tower hundreds of feet high. Flowers, grasses, vegetables, fruits, ferns, cacti, and trees are all plants. They're found almost everywhere on Earth: in oceans, deserts, frozen tundra, and tropical rainforests.

Plants are essential to life on our planet. They produce the oxygen we breathe, provide food for animals and humans, and form the foundation of nearly every ecosystem. Without plants, there would be no forests, no farms, and no animals (including us). Early humans learned to cultivate plants about 10,000 years ago, growing wheat, rice, and corn instead of just gathering wild plants. This agricultural revolution changed human civilization forever.

When you plant something, you're putting a seed or young plant into the soil so it can grow. You might plant tomatoes in your garden or plant an oak tree in your yard, hoping it will grow strong and tall for future generations to enjoy.