Peas to Peas

By Jack Myers Ph.D., Senior Science Editor • Photos by Scott Erickson

Peas begin as seeds. The seeds are really miniature baby plants with food inside to get them started. When they get warm and wet in the spring, the baby plants begin growing.



Each seed has a built-in program that tells it how to grow. It sends a root downward into the soil and a shoot upward out of the ground.



Once the shoot reaches the light, it begins to make a leaf. The leaf turns green. Inside, the leaf now has green machinery that uses sunlight to make its own food. In a few weeks, the little shoot has grown into a big plant with many leaves. Soon it makes flowers.

The flowers change into green pods full of tiny seeds.

The seeds grow bigger. When they are fully grown, they are picked.

But a few pods are left on the vine to dry. The dried seeds look just like the ones that were planted in the spring.

Next spring, the dried seeds will be planted, and peas will grow again . . . from peas.