Why Everybody Needs Plants!

Purr Scouts Leader Cosmo

Now you may be wondering why such a fine specimen of Purr Scout kitty manhood would be interested in plants? Well what kitty doesn't enjoy nibbling on grass or rolling in it? And let's not furget that prince among plants -- catnip! Plus there is nothing like sending flowers to my beloved wedwink -- Purr Scout Kricket Boo -- to put a smile on her purrtty face! But there are actually MANY reasons why plants are important to EVERYBODY!!!

Plants provide food!

For us and wildlife too!

In fact, plants are the beginning of all Food webs for all the ecosystems on Earth! For example, the mouse eats the plants and the cat eats the mouse! Tee hee!

And how about the fish that ends up in catfood? Well big fish feed on little fish and little fish eat tiny aquatic plants called algae.

Grains, like wheat (shown), rice, and oats, are actually grasses and feed much of the world.

Plants are used to make many medicines to make kitties and other beings well when they are sick!

Here is a microscopic picture of the fungus used to make penicillin, an antibotic.

Here are some other plants used as medicines!

Evening Primrose Gingko Rosemary Catnip!

Plants are used to make cloth!

Plants like cotton (shown) can be used to make cloth. The cloth can be used to make curtains for us to climb, bedspreads for us to lay upon and carpets to sharpen our claws on!

Trees do more than provide a shady spot and places to climb! They help to clean the air, provide homes and food fur wildlife, and are used to make a wide variety of products -- from paper to wood to build homes! Trees and other green plants purrform photosynthesis, which means they use energy from the sun to make food for all the world and oxygen fur us to breathe!

Lavendar

Yes, plants are used to make many products! Perfumes (like with the lavendar shown), oils, resins, cork, rubber and latex are just a few! Plus plants help to make the Earth a beautiful place to live! Many humans love gardening and just as many kitties love digging in the garden!

But some plants are dangerous!

Some can make you sick if you eat them!

Morning Glory

Or if you touch them! Poison Ivy

"Leaves of three, let it be!"

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