Seed Dispersal

plants · nature · spreading · survival

Wind carries seeds. Some seeds are super light and fluffy, like dandelion seeds with their parachute-like tops. The wind catches them and carries them far away so the baby plants don't compete with their parents for water and sunlight.

Animals are seed taxis. Birds eat berries and fruits, then drop the seeds in their poop far away from where they started. Squirrels bury acorns and forget some of them, which grow into new oak trees!

Water floats seeds. Some seeds can float on rivers and ocean currents. Coconuts are famous for traveling across the sea to islands where they sprout into palm trees.

Sticky hitchhikers. Seeds with hooks, spikes, or sticky coatings grab onto animal fur and clothing as they pass by. Later, the seeds fall off in a new location and can grow there.

Explosive launches. Some seed pods dry out and suddenly pop open, shooting their seeds through the air like tiny catapults to spread them around.