Seed Dispersal Did you ever stop to wonder how plants disperse, or spread their seeds? In order for plants to grow into healthy new plants, seeds must be dispersed away from the parent plant and each other. Seed dispersal is necessary so that the new plants will be able to get enough sunlight, water and nutrients to grow into strong, healthy plants just like the parent plant. So how exactly do the seeds get to a location with ideal growing conditions? Nature has really provided the seeds with some interesting ways to accomplish this task: One way that some plants spread their seeds is with some help from their animal buddies. Animals eat the delicious fruit from many plants and the seeds pass through the creature undigested in their droppings. Some fruits and seeds may even have little hooks that attach to furry animals as they pass by, allowing the seeds to be moved away from the parent plant.
Wind is another way that seeds are spread. Some seeds are specially adapted to float through the air when a breeze blows. The dandelion is a great example of a plant that disperses its seeds with wind power.
Some seeds that grow near the water produce light seeds that will float and drift downstream. Once they land in a good location, they may germinate and produce new seedlings. There are some plants that have even adapted to spread their own seeds! These seeds are encased in pods that burst open when ripe, sending seeds into the air in a mini explosion. Nature is pretty amazing, huh?