For those in a hurry
- You can change the color of white carnations by soaking them in water with food coloring.
- You can make rainbow carnations by splitting the stem and placing each part in a different colored water.
- This is a fun and easy experiment to learn about plant biology and color mixing.
What you need
- White carnations (fresh and not wilted)
- Food coloring (red, yellow, blue and green)
- Water
- Small glasses or jars
- Knife or scissors
What to do
Step 1: Prepare the water
- Fill each glass half full with water.
- Add 20 to 30 drops of food coloring to each glass. Stir well.
- You can use more or less food coloring depending on how bright you want the colors to be.
Step 2: Cut the stems
- Cut the end of each carnation stem at an angle. This will help the water flow better.
- For some carnations, you can split the stem lengthwise with a knife. This will allow you to create multicolored flowers.
Step 3: Place the flowers in the water
- Place one carnation in each glass of colored water. Make sure the stem is well submerged.
- For the split stems, place each part in a different colored water. You can use rubber bands or string to hold the glasses together.
Step 4: Wait and watch
- Observe the changes in the petals over time. It may take from an hour to a day for the colors to show up.
- Notice how the colors mix and create new shades.
What’s happening
- The carnations are absorbing water through their stems. The water travels up to the petals and changes their color.
- The food coloring is dissolved in the water. It acts as a dye that stains the petals.
- The split stems allow the water to flow into different parts of the flower. This creates a rainbow effect.
