Other plants have developed a surefire way to survive drought by sending their roots deep below the soil surface with a strong center root or taproots. If you have ever tried to pull a dandelion out of the ground with your hand, you encountered a taproot holding its ground. Lateral roots will branch off from the taproots and then more lateral roots will form from the initial lateral roots, but the central taproot will remain the largest and will burrow down into the soil the deepest. A good example is a common carrot. The part you eat is the taproot, but you will also notice smaller roots all along the central root. Carrots are an example of conical taproots, but taproots do not have to be straight or even tapered. Radishes are also taproots, but theirs are wide in the middle and taper at the bottom and often at the top. They are a fusiform taproot. Then there are the napiform taproots such as beets, that are wide across the top, becoming very thin at the bottom. The shape may change, but the function remains the same: to keep the root deep enough in the soil to access water.
Benefits of Plants With Taproots
Plants with taproots tend to be very drought tolerant. Many desert plants can send roots down more than 75 feet allowing them to find water, even in dry climates or conditions. Taproots can also serve to store food reserves, making them even more self-sufficient and resilient.
Drawbacks of Taproots
Because the taproot goes so deeply into the soil, it can be very hard to dig and lift a taprooted plant. Think of the dandelions in the yard. Dividing taprooted plants is another challenge. You can’t simply break off parts of the crown, with roots attached, as you would with a plant structure like a daylily or coreopsis because you need to get a piece of that taproot with each division. But again, think back to the dandelion and you’ll understand that it’s not impossible. Taproots often form offshoots near the crown. These are called necks. If your plant has these, you can cut off each neck that has some smaller roots attached to it and replant with success. Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) can often be divided this way. If no offshoots have formed, you can still try taking a small piece of the actual taproot, with at least one eye and some smaller roots attached, and replant. Much like a beheaded dandelion, it will send up a new shoot. Young seedlings of taproot plants are much easier to transplant. Plants such as butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) will set many seedlings, so you shouldn’t need to disturb the original plant.
Plants With Taproots
It’s hard to give a definitive list of taprooted plants because many plants and most trees start out with taproots but will switch to sending out lateral roots closer to the soil surface once they are established. Tomato plants grown from seed tend to send down a tap root, but those grown from cuttings do not. Root vegetables, including jicama, parsnips, salsify, and turnips, are considered taproots. Several weeds such as plantain and kudzu survive with the help of taproots. Some common garden flowers and herbs (along with their cultivars) that have taproots include the following:
Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) Bugbane (Cimicifuga racemosa) Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) Cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma) Dill (Anethum graveolens) False blue indigo (Baptisia australis) Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) Sea holly (Eryngium)
