Apical Meristems

Apical meristems are meristem groups found in the tips of the shoot system in vascular plants. These areas include all plant buds and the root tips within a plant.

Apical meristems facilitate primary tissue growth within the plant. They lengthen the plant and vertically develop it through the growth of branches and the main stem. They are essential to the development of plants; plants will not develop without them.