In A Raisin in the Sun, why is Mama's little plant so important to her?

From her very first
entrance in this play, Mama is a character who is linked with her plant. As she enters, she
moves straight to care for it and throughout the play she continues to nurture it and to look
after it. The plant operates symbolically in the play as it is a symbol of Mama's nurturting
spirit and how she is trying to look after her family and make them flourish, even though the
conditions for growth are less...