Why do trees have bark?
Trees have bark to protect them, like a cozy coat of armor.
Pip’s answer
- Trees have bark to protect them, like a cozy coat of armor.
- Bark keeps water inside the tree, and keeps out hungry bugs.
- It also keeps the tree safe from very hot sun and very cold winter days.
- Ooh, every year a tree grows a new ring of wood under its bark!
For grown-ups
Bark is a tree's protective skin. The outer bark shields against insects, disease, weather and even fire, and keeps moisture in. Just under it, living layers carry food and water and grow new wood each year, making the growth rings visible in a cut trunk.
Ask your child: How many different bark patterns can we find in the park?
More questions kids ask
- 🍂Why do leaves change color?
- 💧Why do plants need water?
- 🐦Why do woodpeckers peck trees?
- 🌱Why do plants need sunshine?
- 🌻Why do sunflowers face the sun?
- 🌱Why do seeds grow?
Got your own why?
Hold Pip, ask anything out loud, and watch the answer come to life.
Ask Pip your own question