The Effect of Watering a Plant With Colored Water

Immediate Effect

• Watering a plant with colored water will not harm the plant, but may temporarily dye the flowers or leaves if the colored water was poured directly on the plant and the water contained large amounts of dye. As the plant grows and loses leaves or blossoms, the colored areas revert to the normal shade of green.

Absorption Through Soil

• The plant may change color slightly as it absorbs colored water from the soil. The dye is diluted in the soil, though, so major changes are unlikely. However, place a cut plant, such as celery, white daisies or carnations in a jar filled with colored water. The cut plants take the dye up through their stems as they use water, causing them to change color. The difference is often dramatic, especially in white flowers. Try splitting a carnation stem in half. Place the stems in two jars with different colors of dye to create a multi-colored flower.

Other Water Experiments

• Once you've experimented with colored water and plants, try other experiments involving water and plants. Try watering plants with tap water, mineral water, pond water or rain water and note any differences. Try club soda or cola as a watering material.

Considerations

• Just as plants absorb color through their stems, they also absorb pollutants found in the water and soil, potentially causing damage to the plants, or possibly even animals that eat those plants. Dispose of all chemicals, such as oil, fertilizer, herbicides or chlorine bleach properly to keep plants healthy and avoid contamination.