What holds a tree in the ground?

Have you ever put your hands on a tree trunk and pushed? Feel how rough and hard the bark is. You push and push, and the tree does not move.

On a windy day, the branches sway and the leaves rustle. Still, the big tree stands in its place. So what holds a tree in the ground?

The answer is hiding under our feet. A tree has roots, which means the parts of a tree that grow down into the ground. We cannot see them, yet they are there, under the trunk.

The roots grow in soil, which means the dark, crumbly earth that plants grow in. The roots push their way into the soil. Now soil is all around them, on every side.

A tree's roots spread out wide under the ground, like the fingers of a giant hand. Something with a wide bottom is hard to tip over. Wide roots help the tree stand steady the same way.

The big roots split into smaller roots, and those split again. The tiniest roots are as thin as hairs. They wiggle in between the little bits of soil and hold on tight.

Soil is heavy, and it presses on the roots from every side. The roots hold the soil, and the soil holds the roots. Now, when the wind pushes hard on the trunk, what do you think the roots do?

The roots grip the soil and pull back. The wind pushes the tree one way, and the roots pull the other way. The pull of the roots is stronger, so the tree stays standing.

Roots and soil. A tree's roots spread out and grip the soil, so the tree stays put.

Next time you walk past a tall tree, you can wave hello to its hidden roots, holding on down in the soil.