Picture yourself struggling to carry a 19-liter (5-gallon) con-
tainer of water weighing 19 kilograms (42 pounds) up sev-
eral flights of stairs. Imagine doing this 40 times a day. Then
consider the fact that an average-sized tree, despite having
neither heart nor muscle, transports a similar volume of
water effortlessly on a daily basis. How do trees accomplish
this feat? To answer this question, we’ll follow each step in
the journey of water and minerals from roots to leaves.