Thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy, a sentient tree who can only say three–fine, four–words is this summer’s coolest superhero. And when I think of how cool these plantable, sprouting pencils will look once they bloom in a pot of soil, all I can think about is baby Groot, dancing. Which means your kids can do their homework with Groot.

Sprout pencils are made of sustainably-grown cedar with a special, water-activated seed capsule where the eraser should go. Once your pencil is too short to write with, just follow the included directions to plant it. Soon you’ll have a pot of flourishing flowers or herbs or yellow peppers or tomatoes–unless you have a black thumb like me, in which case hand them over to someone you trust to share the basil.

Not only are Sprout pencils eco-conscious and made in the USA, but if you buy their Plant the Rainbow pack, they donate $2 to the Kids in Need Foundation, which means you’re helping guard the galaxy from illiteracy. We really are Groot.

Find Sprout pencils at our Affiliate Amazon, or learn more at the Sprout website. And for more cool back to school supplies, visit our 2014 Back To School Shopping Guide