Celery Capillary Action

Celery is placed in colored water and the colors move upwards to it's leaves.

1. Gather a celery stalk with leaves, 2 tall clear glasses, water, red and blue food colouring, and a sharp kitchen knife.
2. Cut a thin slice off the base of the celery to freshly open the xylem tubes.
3. Make a vertical slit about 5 cm up the middle of the stalk so the base splits into two prongs.
4. Fill two glasses halfway with cold water; tint one glass red and the other blue with food coloring.
5. Place one prong of the split base into the red glass and the other prong into the blue glass. Ensure the leaves remain above the rims.
6. Leave undisturbed and observe colour changes in veins and leaves after 30 minutes; for full effect, check again after several hours or overnight.
7. Examine the stalk closely. Then cut cross sections near the base and mid stalk to see dyed xylem rings and channels.

Celery Capillary Action - Wild Random Videos:

The Color-Changing Celery Experiment! - SciShow Kids:

📄 Capillary Action - Science World: https://www.scienceworld.ca/resource/capillary-action/

📄 An Experiment In Capillary Action – Celery Science - Emmymade: https://www.emmymade.com/an-experiment-in-capillary-action-celery-science/

• Try white flowers such as carnations with split stems to feed two colours and create bicolour petals.

Safety Precautions

• Use a sharp knife only with adult supervision; cut on a stable board with fingers clear of the blade.
• Food coloring can stain skin and surfaces; protect the work area and clean spills promptly.
• Do not eat plant material used as teaching specimens, especially if handled in a lab setting.
• Wash hands after handling plant material and dyes.

• How do plants get water from underground into stems and leaves? (Through xylem using capillary action and transpiration pull.)
• Why do colors appear in specific veins first? (Xylem bundles are discrete tubes that channel water along set paths.)
• What roles do cohesion and adhesion play in this activity? (Cohesion holds water molecules together; adhesion helps them climb tube walls.)
• Why does a fresh cut at the base matter? (It opens clogged or crushed xylem, improving flow.)