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Stuff Every Plant Science Scout Should Know: the Study Guide

Practice facts for the Plant Science merit badge. Not an official Scouting America credential. Grab a snack: this guide is the friendly version, with the answers explained and a groan-worthy joke waiting at the end of most cards.

Knowing Plant Science Scout saves you money, time and the occasional embarrassment.

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Chapter 1: Weather and Water

What is a herbarium?

Short answer: A collection of preserved plant specimens

Herbaria store pressed, mounted, and labeled plant specimens for study.

Groan of the day: A herbarium is a library where plants are pressed into service.

Sources: Scouting America: Plant Science

What is a cultivar?

Short answer: A plant variety selected and maintained by people

A cultivar is a cultivated plant variety that people select and keep for desired traits.

Groan of the day: Cultivars are plants with a cultivated following.

Sources: Scouting America: Plant Science

What is ethnobotany the study of?

Short answer: Relationships between plants and people

Ethnobotany studies how people use and relate to plants, including traditional knowledge.

Groan of the day: Ethnobotany studies the roots of plant-human culture.

Sources: Botany

What is palaeobotany the study of?

Short answer: Fossil plants

Palaeobotanists study ancient plants preserved in the fossil record to learn plant history.

Groan of the day: Palaeobotany digs up old plant stories.

Sources: Botany

What is dendrology the study of?

Short answer: Woody plants

Dendrology focuses on woody plants such as trees and shrubs.

Groan of the day: Dendrology is a branch of science, literally.

Sources: Botany

The cheat sheet

The whole guide on one screen. Screenshot it, print it, stick it on the fridge.

  • Photosynthesis releases oxygen as a by-product, and nearly all living things need oxygen for cellular respiration.
  • Roots take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil and send them up through the plant.
  • A scientific name combines the genus name with the species epithet, giving each plant one worldwide name.
  • Common names vary by region, but a scientific name is a single worldwide label for each organism.
  • Chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light and reflects green light, which is why leaves look green.
  • Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide and water, powered by sunlight, to make sugars.
  • Leaves gather sunlight and carry out photosynthesis, making food for the plant.
  • Deciduous plants shed their leaves seasonally, while evergreens keep leaves through the year.
  • Annuals complete their life cycle in one growing season, while perennials return year after year.
  • Pollinating insects carry pollen from flower to flower, helping plants make seeds and fruit.
  • Grafting joins a scion to a rootstock so they grow together as one plant.
  • A stem cutting can grow roots and become a new plant, a form of vegetative propagation.

Pop quiz

Think of your answer first, then peek.

  1. What gas do plants release into the air during photosynthesis?
    • Oxygen
    • Nitrogen
    • Hydrogen
    Show the answer

    Oxygen. Photosynthesis releases oxygen as a by-product, and nearly all living things need oxygen for cellular respiration.

  2. What is grafting?
    • Cutting weeds with a tool
    • Joining a plant part onto another plant
    • Planting seeds in rows
    Show the answer

    Joining a plant part onto another plant. Grafting joins a scion to a rootstock so they grow together as one plant.

  3. What does a plant identification key help you do?
    • Water the plant
    • Measure rainfall
    • Name an unknown plant
    Show the answer

    Name an unknown plant. A key asks you to compare features step by step until you identify the plant.

  4. What is soil texture about?
    • The size of soil particles
    • The color of flowers
    • The number of earthworms
    Show the answer

    The size of soil particles. Soil texture describes the mix of particle sizes, such as sand, silt, and clay.

  5. What is a nested plot used for?
    • Storing seeds
    • Studying plants at several scales within one area
    • Measuring rainfall only
    Show the answer

    Studying plants at several scales within one area. Nested plots place smaller plots inside larger ones to count plants at different scales.

Now make it stick

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