This resource supports you to teach current plant science requirements for 14-16 and post-16 classes. We will guide you through accessible, low-budget plant material and their associated teaching topics. Plants are linked with their teaching topics and coded to exam board requirements to support you, and your lab technician, plan investigations that enable students to engage with plant life, while you keep to budget and cover course content. We have chosen plants and plant parts that can be accessed with little effort, are easily propagated, can be purchased from local shops, or found growing in school grounds. If you know what specification topic you are planning to teach and need support with plant material you can access these resources through a topic entry point.
Summaries are provided for each plant followed by individual plant profiles, which include information on teaching with these plants, caring for them (where applicable), costs, suppliers and links to relevant teaching resources.
Growing Further
If you want to build on your plant teaching and use a broader collection of plants, we have created a second section, Plant Stars, to help you go further. These plants are listed at the end of this page.
| Images | Common name |
Latin name | Key words | Exam board specification | SAPS and Further Resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Geranium |
Pelargonium spp. | Photosynthesis Adaptation Cells Stomata Leaf variation Plant defences Pollen tubes Rooting hormones |
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Can leaf discs make starch in the dark? Investigating the behaviour of leaf discs for photosynthesis Resource: Measuring stomatal density Resource: The response of leaf discs from sun and shade plants to green light |
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Cauliflower |
Brassica oleracea | Cloning Tissue culture |
|
Cloning cauliflowers |
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Mung Bean |
Vigna radiata | Cells Plant growth Plant nutrition Hydroponics |
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What do plants need to grow? The effect of end product, phosphate, on the enzyme phosphatase |
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Radish |
Raphanus sativus | Plant growth Plant responses and hormones Plant nutrition Enzymes |
|
Investigating seed germination Describe an experiment to show that shoots grow towards light Investigating the behaviour of leaf discs for photosynthesis The effects of different levels of minerals on plant growth |
 |
Dandelion |
Taraxacum officinale | Plant responses Gravitropism Measuring distribution Sampling Abundance |
|
Investigating gravitropism with dandelions |
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Aspidistra |
Aspidistra elator | Photosynthetic pigments Chromatography |
|
The response of leaf discs from sun and shade plants to green light Investigating the behaviour of leaf discs for photosynthesis TLC: An investigation into the separation of photosynthetic pigments. |
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Duckweed |
Lemna minor | Student investigations Population growth |
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Investigations with Lemna Minor Experimental method and biological concepts demonstrated using duckweed |
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Daisy |
Bellis perennis | Sampling Quadrats Habitats Distribution Abundance Transect |
|
Ecology Exercise 1 Ecology Exercise 2 |
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Holly |
Ilex aquifolium |
Spines Leaves Plant defences Herbivory Adaptation Stomata Leaf structure |
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Green algae |
Scenedesmus quadricauda | Photosynthesis Eutrophication |
|
Photosynthesis using algae wrapped in jelly balls |
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Beetroot |
Beta vulgaris | Cell structure Plasmolysis Membrane permeability |
|
|
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Potato |
Solanum tuberosum | Cell membranes Osmosis Asexual reproduction Carbon cycle (Decay) |
|
|
 |
Cress |
Lepidium sativum | Effects of pollution Plant growth Plant nutrition |
|
Explore whether cress seedlings grow towards light Investigating the behaviour of leaf discs Growing plants to look at root hairs |
 |
Elodea |
Elodea canadensis |
Photosynthesis |
|
|
 |
Spinach |
Spinacia oleracea | Chromatography Photosynthetic pigments |
|
An investigation into the separation of photosynthetic pigments Investigating the behaviour of leaf discs for photosynthesis Demonstrating the Hill reaction (available for SAPS Associates) |
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Onion |
Allium spp. | Cell structure Stomata DNA Enzymes |
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|
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Garlic |
Allium sativum | Mitosis Fertilisation and cell cycle |
|
|
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Broad bean |
Vicia faba | Nutrient cycles Nitrogen fixation Mutualism |
|
|
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Green Cabomba |
Cabomba Caroliniana | Photosynthesis |
|
Using Cabomba to demonstrate oxygen evolution in the process of photosynthesis |
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Spider plant |
Chlorophytum comosum variegatum | Asexual reproduction Cuttings Photosynthesis Rooting hormones Stomata |
|
TLC: An investigation into the separation of photosynthetic pigments. |
Plant stars to inspire your students
These plants are a little harder to source and more difficult to keep flourishing in the classroom, but their fascinating adaptations to habitats from around the world make them a valuable teaching tool for the biology lab.
| Plant common name | Latin name | Key words | Exam board specification | SAPS and Further Resources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Venus' Fly Trap |
Dionaea muscipula | Adaptation Interdependence |
Using carnivorous plants in the classroom |
|
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Cape Sundew |
Drosera capensis | Adaptation Interdependence |
|
Using carnivorous plants in the classroom |
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Mimosa |
Mimosa pudica | Plant responses | Investigating Thigmotropism | |
 |
Living Stones |
Lithops spp | Adaptation Mimicry Xerophyte |
|
BBC DVD Private Life of Plants: Surviving |
 |
Common Horsetail |
Equisetum arvense | Evolution ‘Living Fossils’ |
This resource was developed by Dawn Sanders of Gardens for Learning.