Water and minerals are transported in plants through the xylem tissues, which consist of interconnected vessels and tracheids stretching from the roots to the leaves. Root hairs are in contact to the soil containing water and mineral salts. They take up mineral ions by active transport. This creates a difference in concentration of these ions between the root and soil. Therefore, water moves into the root hairs to eliminate this difference. Then water diffuses into the cortical cells. After that the water (containing dissolved minerals) reaches the endodermis by osmosis and then into the root xylem. From the root xylem the water reaches the stem xylem and then conducted to other parts through the branched xylem tissues.

The pressure with which water is pushed into the xylem of the root is called root pressure.

This pressure cannot make up for the water lost by transpiration in tall trees. The loss of water due to transpiration creates a force called transpiration pull which pulls water up through the xylem vessels to the highest point of the plant body.