Challenge > Draw a Plant Challenge Winners

Challenge #16: Draw a Plant
APRIL 2021 • CHALLENGE CLOSED

Splendiferous! We are so impressed with everyone's artwork.

Scientist Donald McClelland holding plant specimens that he collected

In this picture, Donald McClelland is collecting a fern on the island of Montserrat in the West Indies. He will prepare the fern carefully and add it to a scientific collection of dried specimens called an herbarium. His research helps reveal the biodiversity of plants on the island.

Our special guest judge for this challenge is scientist Donald McClelland.

Donald is a botanist, a biologist who studies plants. He researches the evolution of plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), including naming new species. And he studies the biodiversity of plants on the tropical island of Montserrat in the West Indies.

Hall of Fame Gallery

This Challenge was to draw and label parts of a plant, and to share why it is important. Here are our judge's top picks!

Zehra A.

Age 11
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
The twisting shape of the trunk of your Japanese maple makes your picture stand out. I also like how you show an entire garden scene. Clearly, you observe lots of the plants around you!
Lauren B.

Age 11
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
Did you know the white parts of the petals of tulips are caused by a virus and that the exact pattern is variable because of differences in the infection? I think you caught that variability really well. And I also like the different shades of green in the leaves.
Yacine

Age 8
France
Judge's Comments:
There is no mistaking your plant. The picture is very accurate. Isn't it interesting that people use the common name "lucky bamboo" for this plant even though it isn't actually bamboo? That's why scientific names are so important. I'm glad you included the scientific name for this species in your picture.
Carolina F.

Age 8
New York, U.S.A.
"This is the Narrowleaf Yucca (Yucca Angustissima), which is a plant that grows tall and serene in the dry but colorful Southwest. Here it is with a Yucca Moth, its little partner in life… There are many species of Yuccas and they have many uses. In medicine, Yuccas are good for migraine relief and skin care. Native people also used Yucca leaves to make baskets, sandals and clothes, and its stalk for spears... There’s a species of Yucca that may be used as shampoo! Yuccas are also beautiful in gardens. Its flowers are the State Flower of New Mexico… I love Yuccas because they promise life in the desert."
Judge's Comments:
Your picture really tells the story of the symbiotic relationship between the yucca and the yucca moth. Not only that, but you exactly captured the beauty of a sunset in the Sonoran Desert.
A. Maximiliano R.

Age 4
Tlaxcala, Mexico
"Corn, “Mexican People’s Essential Food”"
Judge's Comments:
Great job! You accurately showed each ear of corn in the axil of a leaf and the cluster of male flowers (the tassel) at the top of the plant. I really like the vivid colors.
Rachel W.

Age 12
New York, U.S.A.
"Buttercups are a type of flower that are part of the genus Ranunculus. This flower plays an important role in the natural world, as it is a producer, meaning it converts energy from the sun to chemical energy. In the process of that, it also takes in carbon dioxide and lets out oxygen as a waste product. Due to this, buttercups are useful to the world because they contribute to making the air we breathe cleaner and healthier. They are also a source of food/energy for the organisms in its ecosystem."
Judge's Comments:
Your drawing of buttercups is really great! The plants are lifelike, and the composition is very attractive. Not only that, you perfectly labeled the plant parts. Very well done!
Avrie C.

Age 11
"I drew a potato plant and labeled it!"
Judge's Comments:
You did a great job accurately labeling the major parts of your potato. By distinguishing between the mother tuber and the ones produced later, you captured an important part of the life history of potatoes. Which is that most of the reproduction is through cloning!
Zekeriya A.

Age 5
New York, U.S.A.
"Plants are important because they can be food for people and they can be healthy."
Judge's Comments:
You did a great job labeling the parts of your plant!
Amaya H.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
It was great that you showed the flower from the front and the back since different features are visible in each view. In fact, when botanists make a herbarium specimens (a dried, flattened, scientific specimen) we press some flowers in each direction for exactly this reason. I also really like how accurately you labeled the flowers including the complicated and unusually structured anthers of hibiscus.
Cecilia D.B.

Age 8
Verbania Piedmont, Italy
Judge's Comments:
Your abstract tree reminds me of the painter Vincent van Gogh. But the flowers and fruits are very accurate showing the characteristic bract. I also liked the information you included. Linden honey is one of my favorites. What a great combination of styles and information.
Timothé R.

Age 9
France
Judge's Comments:
I really liked your drawing of the nettle. The flowers are so small it can be hard to represent them well, but I think you did a perfect job. I also really like that you pointed out the danger of the urticating hairs. Très bien!
Aditi N.

Age 11
New York, U.S.A.
"The daffodils symbolize rebirth and new beginnings. It is one of the first perennials to bloom after the winter frost. The Latin name of daffodil is Narcissus. Daffodils contain chemicals that help reduce pain. There are some side effects of daffodils. Chewing the stem may contain some poison. You must concern your pediatrician, physician or healthcare before using."
Judge's Comments:
Wow, what a beautiful and accurate set of illustrations. I really like that you included the habit of the whole plant as well as superbly labeled close ups of the flower and bulb. The scientific classification was the icing on the cake. Your wonderful style reminds me of classic botanical illustrations.
Lucy G.

Age 7
Surrey, U.K.
Judge's Comments:
Your drawing of a forget-me-not is great. It is accurately labeled, and the close-up is very detailed. Including the Greek derivation of the name was a very nice touch. Did you know that forget-me-nots have the smallest pollen of the flowering plants?
Kyra B.

Age 11
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
The vibrant colors and shading in your picture really make your tulip stand out. It's easy to see why there was tulip mania in the Netherlands in the 1630's. Excellent.
Tony C.

Age 12
New York, U.S.A.
"The plant I drew is a small houseplant. Plants are important because they absorb carbon dioxide while letting out oxygen. This makes our air freshener and gets rid of toxic pollutants in the air. Some studies show that plants can even reduce stress levels and boost moods. The art form is in pointillism."
Judge's Comments:
I like your use of pointillism. Your picture is very artistic. But I can still clearly see all the botanical structures you labeled. Very nice.
Abigail Z.

Age 4
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
You nailed the classic shape of the tulip flower and the few leaves that each plant has. Very well done.
Daniel C.

"Cucumber Plant"
Judge's Comments:
It is very impressive that you accurately showed female flowers and male (staminate) flowers. Did you know that plants can have separate male flowers and female flowers before you made your drawing?
Gabriella F.

Age 6
New York, U.S.A.
"This is the Apple Blossom (Pyrus Coronaria), the flower of the Apple Tree. People use the flower as tea for medicine or just pleasure. And yes, this flower will become an apple one day! The Apple Blossom is also the State Flower of Michigan, where my BFF Hailey is from :)"
Judge's Comments:
This is a great close-up of an apple flower. The details are very accurate, and you labeled it perfectly!
Manon K.

Age 8
France
Judge's Comments:
I really like your drawing of a lily because you picked up on some important characteristics that other people might miss. For example, lilies have six showy structures that look like petals. We can call them sepals to make it easy, but actually three of them are petals and the other three are sepals. The only way to tell which is which is by the way they attach to the rest of the flower. The sepals attach behind the petals and you got that perfectly in your drawing! Magnifique!
Kylie B.

Judge's Comments:
I like that you included both the habit of the tulip and a well labeled close-up of the flowers.

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Honorable Mention Gallery

Here are more drawings that inspired us!

Aaron D.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
Your picture looks good enough to eat. I really like how you accurately showed the lines of seeds as they would grow in the watermelon.
Alawna R.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
Your sunflower is bright and showy. It's very eye catching. Did you know that sunflowers turn throughout the day keeping the flower facing the Sun?
Alex C.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
Very nicely done. I like that you included both the carrot in the ground as well as a still life. Did you know that the carrot is the same species as Queen Anne's lace, which you can find growing wild in Virginia?
Alexis B.

Age 4
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
You did a great job identifying the major parts of this plant. I really liked that you included rain and had the plant in soil to show its environmental requirements.
Amelia K.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
Your apple tree looks mighty. I like that you showed the apple tree in the environment. This really helps to tell the story of not only the apple tree but also its ecological community.
Arianna F.

Age 6
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I really like the bright colors of your flower. They make your picture very eye catching.
Ben G.

Age 10
Surrey, U.K.
Judge's Comments:
The proportion of the bulb of your onion to the leaves makes me think that it has just started growing. It may be subtle, but I think that with this artistic choice you conveyed more action and promise than if you had drawn a full grown plant. I like that.
Brogan

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I like the vivid colors you chose for your rose. I especially liked the detail that you included with the tips of the "thorns" (technically prickles) being red which we often see on the living plants.
Cade T.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
The Venus flytrap is such a fascinating plant because it is not only carnivorous but also actively closes its traps around its prey. Your picture captures that excitement with the three open traps and the one that has closed on something. I can't help wonder what could be caught in the trap.
Caleb K.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
You did a great job showing the structure of the Venus flytrap especially the trigger hairs of the trap. One of the fascinating things about the traps is that they live in nutrient poor soils, so they eat animals (mainly insects) to get nutrients like nitrogen. Unlike us, the plants don't get energy from the food, but like us they do need nutrients to be healthy and grow.
Claire C.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
The way you colored the leaves makes the plant seem very active. And this species can grow quickly. You accurately showed that roots can grow from the nodes, and monsteras use those roots to climb up trees in the wild.
Claudia

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
You did a great job drawing a schematic flower to show all the different parts. Did you know flowers were so complex before you drew this one?
Colette K.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I like the patterning in your lily flower. The different marks can help guide pollinators in just like light on a runway.
Dylan L.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I like that you included the environment for your rose. By showing the Sun and the soil, you reminded us that plants use light for photosynthesis and get water and minerals from the soil.
Emerson P.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
The setting Sun behind your tree is very striking. By including the tree hollow and the swing, you reminded us that plants can be a habitat for other organisms including us.
Emma L.-G.

Age 9
Marssac sur Tarn, France
Judge's Comments:
Très bien! You got one of the most important characteristics for mint, their opposite leaves.
Gabriela H.

Judge's Comments:
You included pinnately compound leaves and accurately labeled the leaflets. That is great. I also like that you included the Sun to artistically remind us that plants photosynthesize.
Hadley

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I really like that you show coconuts growing on the tree, as well as close up both whole and open. This is a great way to give as much information as possible so the viewer of your pictures gets a better sense of the whole plant.
Inès L.-G.

Age 9
Marssac sur Tarn, France
Judge's Comments:
Fantastique! I really like how you show the relationships between the Sun and your sunflower. Plants use sunlight to photosynthesize. And sunflowers track the Sun throughout the day so their flowers always face it.
Jace L.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
You did a great job showing the different parts of a strawberry. As you point out, the fleshy red part which most people think is the fruit is actually the receptacle. And the achenes are technically the fruits.
Jackson

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I like that you chose to draw your maple tree in monochrome. I think it makes your picture very dramatic.
Josh T.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
Did you know that oranges had so many components before you drew your picture? In fact, the pulp is actually composed of fluid filled hairs. We have a special name for these kinds of fruits. It is hesperidium.
Joshua V.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
Venus flytraps are amazing plants. Did you know they are native to the Carolinas and found in the wild nowhere else? I got a real kick out of your fly that is deciding whether to land on the trap and the other one who already made that mistake.
Karen A.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
"I picked this because I thought it was interesting to do and also because it has more details because there's apples."
Judge's Comments:
You did a good job with the classic tree above ground. But what really caught my eye was underground where you showed the root hairs. Did you know that each root hair is made up of a single cell?
Kylie M.

Age 9
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I like that you put your plant in its environmental context. The Sun, soil, and rain remind us that plants need light and water for photosynthesis, and that they get minerals from the soil.
Lizzy M.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
You did a good job showing the leaf arrangement of your aloe. And your cross-section shows the anatomy of a leaf really well.
Lorrie T.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
The colors in your picture, especially the orange of the carrot, are very vibrant. I especially like that you pointed out the lateral root scars on the taproot that we eat.
Luke W.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I like your drawing of a dissected bean. It clearly shows that there is a baby plant inside each seed. Maybe that is something to think about the next time you eat beans?
Lusya K.

New York, U.S.A.
"Hi, I'm Lusya K from New York City, and I drew bleeding hearts for my entry!"
Judge's Comments:
Your drawing does justice to this charismatic species. As pretty as they are, it's good you included a warning about them being poisonous!
Matthew

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
Your decision to include the flowers of the Venus flytrap in your picture makes it stand out. Many people only focus on the traps since they are so cool. But of course the Venus flytrap has flowers, too. I think this show that you are very observant.
Michael T.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I like your drawing of a slice of watermelon. You show a good cross-section of the fruit. And it looks ready to eat!
Mikeila S.

Age 9
New Jersey, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
Your tree looks like it is blowing in the wind. I like the feeling of action that you captured.
Nancy P.

Age 13
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
With all the separate points, your pointillist work must have taken quite a while to complete. I like how you included the environmental factors (the Sun, water, and nutrients from the soil) that are important for plants to photosynthesize and grow.
Nika

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
A nice drawing of the longitudinal section of a flower. From what I can see, the parts look well labeled.
Rachel

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
You have drawn a nice longitudinal section of a flower. Your labels are accurate and complete.
Raedyn

Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
The vivid colors in your picture of a lotus with a setting Sun make it very dramatic. I like that you showed an aquatic plant. All too often we think of plants on land only.
Reece M.

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
Your picture of a pomegranate looks good enough to eat. You really captured the abundance of seeds in the fruit. And I like the detail of the remanence of the other floral organs at the end of the fruit. That's a great observation.
Rose F.

Age 7
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I really like your apple tree. It looks like it has been espaliered which is a traditional way to prune fruit trees in parts of Europe.
Rylee

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
You did a good job showing the shape and patterning of the leaves of Aloe vera.
Satvik D.

Age 10
Connecticut, U.S.A.
"Daffodils are the Signs of Spring! Beautiful for Gardens & Beneficial for Medicine!"
Judge's Comments:
You picture of a daffodil is clean and effective. My favorite part of the flowers of daffodils is the corona, which other plants don't have. The contract between the corona and the petals in your picture makes it stand out.
Sayra

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
The vibrant red and green of your rose really makes it pop off the page. I especially like how well you showed the overlapping petals. Did you know that most of what we call petals on a rose aren't actually petals? They are the filaments of stamens that have expanded to look like petals. If you take a rose apart "petal" by "petal" you will see the transition from "petal" to regular stamen. Try it!
Thiago L.

Age 11
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I really like the white and pink coloration of your tulip. Did you know that the white parts are infected by a virus that causes them not to have any color? Isn't it strange that being infected by a virus can make a plant prettier?
William B.

Age 12
New York, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
We usually focus on the bright colors of tulips. But your choices to draw it in pencil and your use of shading makes your pictures very dramatic.
Zenaida

Age 11
Virginia, U.S.A.
Judge's Comments:
I really like that you showed the entire lifecycle of a sunflower. Have you grown any sunflowers yourself? It would be really cool to observe each step in the lifecycle. Maybe that could be a project for this summer?