How to make a colorful carnation bouquet for Mom

The woman behind the creation of Mother’s Day thought every mom deserved a bouquet of white carnations.

Pick up a bunch from your local florist, grab some food coloring, then try this science experiment to try to change some of the blooms’ color.

Inside carnations and other flowers is something called a xylem. According to Science Fun, the xylem moves water up from the roots to the flower’s stem, leaves and petals. In this experiment, the xylem should move colored water up to the carnation’s petals, slowly making them change color.

What you need:

What you do:

1. Fill your cups with water. Add a few drops of food coloring to each. Add one carnation to each glass.

2. Check your flowers’ color after two hours.

2. Check your flowers’ color after two hours.

3. Check again after one day. How have your flowers changed?

3. Check again after one day. How have your flowers changed? (Molly Duffy/For The Gazette)

Reflect and think

What do you think would happen if you left your flowers for another day? A whole week?

Did your flowers change color at different rates? Why do you think that happened?

What factors (number of drops, temperature, time, etc.) do you think might make your flowers more or less colorful?