What Are the Stages of a Bean Plant in Water?

Hydration

• Water triggers the seed's growth. Bean seeds are dicotyledons, or dicots. When the bean becomes soaked, its outer covering softens. It may be possible to see the outline of the tiny embryo plant and the two sections called cotyledons that store food for the new plant.

Germination

• The seed swells with the addition of the water and the beginning of growth. It bursts open, and a small root grows from the bottom of the seed. The root may show tiny root hairs that help draw water into the plant. A curled stem appears at the top of the seed, pushing the bean up. This stem is called the crozier, because it resembles a bishop's curved staff, a crozier.

Leaves

• The seed splits in two parts from which the stem continues growing. The two parts, the cotyledons, are the plant's food supply. Now the stem begins producing leaves and the plant starts photosynthesis. At this point, the wet paper towel could be replaced by moist soil to encourage the bean to grow vigorously. With the addition of soil, the bean develops into a mature plant. Add the soil, but keep the young plant against the glass where its progress can be seen.

Flowering

• After about six weeks, the green, leafy plant produces flowers. Root, stem and leaves are fully developed. Depending on the bean, the flowers will be colorful to attract pollinators. Bean flowers are usually white or yellow. Bees are especially attracted to yellow.

Fruiting

• Within weeks, the flowers turn into pods that hold the beans, which are the seeds. These are the edible part of the plant, and the pods may be harvested and the beans eaten. If the bean plants were set against the glass of a clear container throughout the project, the entire lifecycle of the bean was visible.