Which of the following plants does not tolerate division well?

Which of the following plants does not tolerate division well?

• A. Cosmos
• B. Goldenrod
• C. Lupine
• D. Wintersweet

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that some plants don’t handle root disturbance well because their growth depends on a single, deep root. Lupine fits this pattern because it has a long taproot that supplies much of its water and nutrients. When you divide a lupine, you cut through that main root, which severely stresses the plant and slows or prevents regrowth. That makes division unsuitable for lupines. The other plants here don’t have the same vulnerability. They either rely on root systems that recover more easily after being split or are commonly propagated in ways that tolerate division better. Cosmos and goldenrod, for example, have root systems that rebound after division, and wintersweet, being a woody shrub, is typically less harmed by root disturbance or is propagated by other methods.

The key idea is that some plants don’t handle root disturbance well because their growth depends on a single, deep root. Lupine fits this pattern because it has a long taproot that supplies much of its water and nutrients. When you divide a lupine, you cut through that main root, which severely stresses the plant and slows or prevents regrowth. That makes division unsuitable for lupines.

The other plants here don’t have the same vulnerability. They either rely on root systems that recover more easily after being split or are commonly propagated in ways that tolerate division better. Cosmos and goldenrod, for example, have root systems that rebound after division, and wintersweet, being a woody shrub, is typically less harmed by root disturbance or is propagated by other methods.