![]() ![]() This way, the plants will try to get additional moisture from the atmosphere. Some plants even develop aerial roots only when the plant’s root system does not receive enough water, oxygen, or nutrients from the soil.įor instance, succulents may develop aerial roots when they don’t receive enough water. While this type of root is always present in epiphytic plants, others develop these aerial roots in addition to the underground root. In its natural environment, that would be trees, rocks, or anything it can hang on.Īlso, the aerial roots may have the function to take additional nutrients and water from the air.Īerial roots are roots that grow above the ground and their role may vary from plant to plant as described earlier in this article. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a trailing vine with heart-shaped leaves which is commonly grown as a houseplant.īeing a climbing plant, pothos mainly uses the aerial roots to attach itself to various supports. Monstera Deliciosa (Swiss Cheese Plant)Īsabengurtza, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons The aerial roots are found in some of the most common houseplants but also in some species of trees. Hence, they use these aerial roots to get more oxygen from the air. These shrubs are usually found in swamps with increased salinity and low oxygen levels in the soil. Plants such as mangroves use aerial roots for breathing. The aerial roots of some plants like the one of epiphytic orchids, besides anchoring the plant, also have the role of absorbing moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere by acting as a sponge. This make the plant more robust and less likely to break by wind or animals. ![]() In some plants, the main purpose of these aerial roots is to provide better stability to the plant by anchoring it to the ground or by helping it hang on certain supports such as other plants, rocks, fences, trellises, or walls. Some of the most common functions of aerial roots in plants include: 1. Roles Of Aerial RootsĪs mentioned above, aerial roots have different roles that can vary from plant to plant depending on the environment in which it grows. However, some plants develop these root types only when the underground root system cannot extract enough water, nutrients, or oxygen from the soil to ensure the healthy development of the plant. The aerial roots are more common and almost always present in some species of plants. They also use their host to get on a higher spot to receive more sun in dense tropical forests or to collect the nutrients in the organic debris that gathers on trees. These air plants usually use their host only for physical support and are not attached to the supporting plants, making them non-parasitic. There are both plants that grow aerial roots in addition to the underground root but also plants called epiphytes, or air plants.Įpiphytes are non-parasitic plants, but which grow on other plants or objects and which have only aerial roots, without being anchored in the soil and without the need to obtain nutrients and water from it. These are different from the roots that grow in the soil and have several different roles that can vary from plant to plant. Yet, there are also some plants that also grow above-the-soil roots.Īerial roots are roots that grow above the ground and are present in various plant species. When we hear the word “ roots,” the thought automatically leads us to that part of a plant that grows underground and which you can only see when you pull out the plant. Learn more about these root types, their role, and which plants develop them in this article. Are some of your plants growing weird above-ground roots? These are called aerial roots. ![]()
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