En esta lección de vocabulario básico en inglés vamos a aprendernos las plantas en inglés. Vamos a ver cómo se llaman los diferentes tipos de plantas, así como sus partes y algunas de las plantas, árboles y flores más comunes en inglés.
plants
There are many different kinds of plants and they are an essential part of most ecosystems. We couldn’t live without them!
The biggest and highest ones are trees, of which there are many different types. Some trees lose their leaves during winter but others don’t.
Bushes are similar to trees but they are shorter and they don’t have such a high trunk. Grass is even shorter and can grow almost anywhere. Most people love the smell of freshly mowed grass.
There are many different kinds of flowers and most of them are really colorful and beautiful. Many people love flowers and it’s a common present for birthdays, weddings or anniversaries. Having fresh flowers at home can light up any room.
For people who love plants but are terrible at keeping them alive, cactus are a great option because they do not need much water and they always survive. Succulents are a kind of cactus that is very trendy nowadays because they are beautiful and low-maintenance.
 |
plant | planta | |
 |
tree | árbol | |
 |
flower | flor | |
 |
bush | arbusto | |
 |
grass | hierba | |
 |
cactus | cactus | |
 |
succulent | suculenta |
trees
Trees live all around the world but in deserts and the Poles. Well, actually some trees live by the desert in oasis, like palm trees.
Trees can grow naturally in forests, also called woods, but we humans love them so much that we plant trees in gardens and streets to enjoy them every day. Willows are very popular in city gardens because they look majestic, especially when they grow next to water.
Oaks and pines are very common trees, above all in temperate and cool climates like Europe and North America. Both are used by the furniture industry to create tables, chairs, bookshelves and many other things.
Tropical trees grow in the jungle or the rainforest around the Equator, where it can rain almost every day. Some of the most famous ones are the Amazon Rainforest or the jungles of Indonesia, where there are also many kinds of animals.
Fruit trees are usually smaller than other trees but they are very important for us because they grow delicious fruit we need to stay healthy.
You can make the words for any fruit tree in English just by adding the name of the fruit before the word «tree», like cherry tree, olive tree, apple tree…
 |
forest | bosque | |
|
woods | bosque | |
 |
rainforest | selva | |
|
jungle | jungla | |
 |
palm tree | palmera | |
 |
oak | roble | |
 |
pine | pino | |
 |
willow | sauce | |
 |
fruit tree | árbol frutal | |
 |
cherry tree | cerezo | |
 |
olive tree | olivo |
parts of a plant
Plants have different parts just like humans or animals do. Let’s have a look at them starting from the bottom and following the natural growth process of any plants.
In the beginning, most plants start as seeds, which are deep into the ground. Seeds are packed with the nutrients the plant needs to grow big and healthy.
Seeds first grow roots, deeper into the ground, which help the plant get nutrients from the soil such as water and minerals. Then, they develop stems, which soon grow new leaves to help the plant absorb sunlight.
Trees turn their stem into trunks as they grow bigger and bigger. Trunks, which are covered in bark, end up developing branches, with even more leaves, and end in a tree top.
 |
leaf | hoja | |
 |
leaves | hojas | |
 |
bark | corteza | |
 |
root | raíz | |
|
tree top | copa de árbol | |
 |
trunk | tronco | |
 |
branch | rama | |
 |
stem | tallo | |
 |
seeds | semillas |
flowers
Flowers are simply amazing and so beautiful. They come in all the colors of the rainbow and are considered by many people as a very nice present.
Maybe the most popular flowers are roses, as they are associated with love and romanticism. Roses can have many different colors but the most popular ones are red roses.
Daisies may look simple and pale when compared to more colorful flowers such as tulips. Fun fact: even though tulips are very common in The Netherlands they are originally from Turkey.
Sunflowers, like artichokes, are flowers that humans usually consume. In the case of sunflowers, their seeds are processed to make sunflower oil but also, in some countries like Spain, people like having sunflowers seeds as a snack to kill time.
Orchids are among the most precious flowers and there are numerous competitions around the world for orchids —a beauty pegeant of sorts where people can show off their latest hybrids. Did you know that in the wild orchids don’t grow in the soil but on tree barks?
 |
rose | rosa | |
 |
daisy | margarita | |
 |
sunflower | girasol | |
 |
tulip | tulipán | |
 |
orchid | orquídea |
