How to explain the difference between a weed and a flower to a 5 year old?

She wonders why I am pulling dandilions and little purple and white flowers OUT of my garden to plant other flowers. I explained they were weeds, and she asked "How do you know if something is a weed or a flower?". She seemed more right than I did. So, was just wondering, is there a good answer to this?? Thanks!

How to explain the difference between a weed and a flower to a 5 year old?
Ok, this will be a little boring but hey, I need to come out of Science%26amp;Math sometimes ;-)



Weeds, and all organisms that we label as plagues or pests, have a characteristic life strategy (it's called r strategy, but the name is not important). Simply put, when it comes to distributing their energy budget, these organisms privilege quantity over quality. They can thrive under many different conditions, whereas many of our flowers need special care and demand our efforts (which makes them more valuable for us). They grow quickly and usually don't produce permanent structures (such as stems and trunks that last from one year to the next); in fact many of them only live for one favorable season. Their flowers are ephemeral (only last for few days, and wilt quickly). In contrast, we tend to plant flowers that last longer and may be more fragrant, larger and visually attractive (and apt for cutting and decorating).

Instead of producing a large permanent body, weeds use their energy to produce many seeds before dying, and they're usually able to multiply fast. Because they grow faster than other plants, they can outcompete the ornamental species that we are interested in, and therefore we reduce their population so that our plants will have more access to the resources they need.

If this is too much...

You can tell the little one that these beautiful weeds can take care of themselves in the wild, whereas the others, the official "flowers", will benefit from your care and provide a special appearance to your garden.

And maybe you could arrange to have a small "wild flower garden" that will take care of itself (and regrow every year with the aid of the seed-carrying birds). Wild plants attract many butterflies and other native animals.
Reply:Thanks for choosing my answer, I'm sure there were some awesome ones, especially from Patz and Craptacular Wonderment. :-) Report It
Reply:I learned from Calimecitas answer too.. and she says (Mine) was good?.. That was so nice of her!!Thanks Calmecita!! Report It
Reply:You're very welcome, CW :-) Report It
Reply:Wound a 5 year old understand this? Report It
Reply:How would I explain it?.. In a way they could understand.



I would let them know that a flower is sometimes a single seed that needs space and care for it to be able to make more flowers, which sometimes can take two years.



And a weed can spread within weeks or even days if they are very strong willed and don't need anything added to help them grow. So they can take over all the good nutrients in the soil and drink up all the water and then flowers may or may not live.



Although weeds do have their places to be wild and free, it's just not in the same area as the flower is, so they can both suvive.



I love that wonderful mind of your 5 year old, how wonderful for her to pass on the wonder to you.
Reply:you know what, she WAS right!



a weed is something just as precious as a flower. the intent is the only difference. you intended to place a flower in a particular location, while a weed was placed there by the hand of nature. and she is concerned with the difference, because to her, it seems like you're just replacing nature's intent with your own.



maybe the best way to explain the difference to her would be to say, "honey, this flower was already here. i wanted to replace it with THESE flowers that you and i picked out to see if they will grow and be just as beautiful as the one that was here before."



and of course she will ask, "what was the matter with just leaving the old ones (the weeds) alone right where they were?"



NOW what do you do? (ulp!) maybe what you could have done in the first place (and probably WILL do next time because you now have a new landscape engineer!) and naturalize YOUR flowers in along with whatever is already growing there.



"see how beautiful they look together? the colors and shapes make each other look nicer?" you can choose native plants (some people really LIKE the wildflower garden look!) that will grow alongside clover, dandelions, and whatever else you're lucky enough to already have. intersperse your annuals and perennials such as irises and peonies in as well, explaining that they need "more room" to grow big and strong, to rationalize weeding.



"see? we already have a head start on our flower garden this year!" as the inevitable dandelions rise. whew... the pressure's off!
Reply:A weed is something you do not want growing where it is. Blackberries or tulips are considered weeds in some places.
Reply:Weeds grow when %26amp; where you don't plant them. Flowers don't grow when you do plant them.
Reply:I yes, I used to LOVE the dandilions and the purple and white flowers when I was a kid and I would bring them in to my mom and she told me that they were pretty, but she also explained to me that they were weeds. :D



she showed me how much prettier real flowers were as compared to weeds and that a lot of real flowers were more fragarant than weeds and that MOST flowers need to be planted by hand. She also got me a book showing me pictures of the many kinds of flowers and it also showed the different kinds of weeds. :)
Reply:I gave up..lol
Reply:Weeds have a stronger will to live!
Reply:Just tell her the truth; if you water it, fertilize it, cultivate it, and it dies, it's a flower. If you stomp on it, burn it, pull it, and it thrives, its a weed.
Reply:Just let her be a 5 year old and continue to think all things are beautiful. That there is no weeds or ugliness in our world. Let her grow up and discover that flowers are beautiful no matter where they come from.
Reply:"I prefer these types of flowers and plants and not those types"?
Reply:Flowers grow where you want them to. Weeds grow where you don't want them to.