Fascinating Seeds – My Seedy Hobby

My husband calls me a “Mudder” as there is nothing I love more than springtime gardening and collecting plants. But my hobby is much more, as over the years it evolved to managing the complete cycle of a plant. Our house is full of seed types, at least 200 or more. I find it fascinating understanding seed origins, growing conditions, seed reliability and ultimately seed harvesting….this led to the creation of my own Etsy seed shop. Why?……because I love it!

It’s been quite interesting learning about selling online, and learning about what people want and expect in seeds – but the seeds themselves are the most fascinating! Seriously!

Seeds have evolved to successfully carry on their own species – by different methods.  I quite enjoy sorting out seeds of different shapes, wondering why some are shaped so similarly to others and others completely different.  My husband will often find me sitting at my desk admiring seeds and staring off into the distance, thinking happy seed evolution stories.  Perhaps I should stop obsessing and get out of the house more…..

Wind Dispersal

Some seed varieties use wind as a method of dispersion.  Maple keys (which are apparently also called Samaras!) are curved so that when they fall from the tree, the curve creates lift and the fall from the tree is slowed so that the wind can carry the key further.

Seed shape controls spin rate:

The Norway maple, native to the more open European forests has wide winged samaras that glide far from the parent tree, maximizing dispersal in open spaces. The Canadian red maple, adapted to dense North American forests has narrow thin samaras that spin rapidly and drop closer to the parent; a strategy that helps seedlings establish in the shade below. No wonder our Norway maple trees are so invasive. They drop their keys all over the neighbourhood – and those trees grow everywhere.

Fluff

Many plants like the Joe Pye weed, blazing star, and asters send their seeds traveling on tufts of fluff, letting the wind do the work. I love those wildflowers!

I’m less fond of those doggone dandelions. Apparently the dandelion has been studied more closely than most wildflowers. Its’ “fluff” isn’t just randomly arranged, the fine hairs form a porous globe that creates a stable swirl of air as the seed falls. This keeps it flying longer and helps it travel farther than a solid parachute ever could – like from my neighbour’s yard to mine…..The seed of this weed is so well “designed” that it can’t help but spread aggressively!

Common Milkweed produces large seeds on enormous fluffy tufts. When cleaning these seeds I frequently find tufts of fluff flying around the house (sorry family). I was amazed at how soft this fluff was and thought, couldn’t it be used for something? In fact, the silky floss that carries them has been used in pillows, insulation, and life jackets, thanks to its lightweight, water-resistant fibers. It doesn’t get used now on a large scale basis because it’s cheaper to use imported synthetic fibers from places with lower labour costs; this is one of those seed facts that keeps me up at night. What could I do with this beautiful silky fluff?

Wildlife

Some seeds are spread by wildlife!  Some are sticky or prickly and stick to birds and animals, while some get eaten and dropped (so to speak) further afield.  Have you ever heard of epizoochory?  I wonder if I could use epizoochory in Scrabble? My husband claims no!

Both beggar ticks (Bidens species) and forget-me-nots (Myosotis species) are spread using epizoochory.

• Beggar ticks have seeds with tiny barbs or hooks that catch onto fur, feathers, or even clothing.  We find them all over our Goldendoodle and worry they might be real ticks. They are just seeds and he’s obviously been rolling around where he shouldn’t be …again.
• Forget-me-nots produce sticky or bristly seeds that cling in a similar way.  I often find them on my pant-legs which is why we can’t forget them – they stick to us and follow us around.

Instead of flying on the wind, these plants rely on wildlife (and not so wildlife like me and my doodle) to carry their seeds to new locations, often far from the parent plant.

Did you know that Velcro’s design was inspired by burrs – those round seedheads (of burdocks) that stick to your ankle socks when hiking through the forest? They have little curved shaped hooks that stick very well to fabric and fur!  Their angles have also evolved to maximize contact points on fur or feathers.

Smooth and Tasty

Some seeds rely on animals to eat and disperse them. They are often round, slippery and smooth so that they can be easily swallowed and digested.  Tasty berry seeds are often protected by a hard shell which resist stomach acid and chewing – ducks and geese go crazy eating all of our blueberries, wild roses, chokeberries and most other things on our islands!

Floating geometry

Some seeds are dispersed by floating on water, taking advantage of buoyancy to travel downstream. For example, the blue flag iris produces flat seeds that can ride on the water’s surface, while the cardinal flower has tiny light seeds that float easily. The white water lily (no relation!) carries seeds with internal air pockets, allowing them to remain buoyant for long periods. Hibiscus moscheutos (swamp rose-mallow), native to wet areas in North America, also fits this pattern – its seeds are small, somewhat woody, and can float in water, making them well-adapted for dispersal in marshes and along streams.

So some seeds have airpockets, are light or flat,  or have smooth waxy coatings to repel water and have adapted different ways to float to their next destination.

Gravity & Ballistics

Heavy seeds are often smooth and round (think acorns or chestnuts), their shape lets them roll downhill after falling, increasing dispersal range without wind or animals.

Some pods explode directionally (wild violets for example) and have pods that suddenly explode when the seeds are ready.  Sometimes I bring violet pods inside to dry and the next day I find seeds across my living room.  I’ve learned to put a lid on them! Wild geraniums also “pop” when ready!

Fire

Some plants have seeds adapted to survive or take advantage of fire. Certain lupines, such as tailcup lupine (lupinus caudatus), produce hard, armored seeds that can persist in the soil and survive high temperatures, allowing them to germinate in nutrient-rich, cleared areas after a fire. In Canada, tailcup lupine is native to southern British Columbia and Alberta, thriving in fire‑adapted grasslands and open forests. In contrast, fireweed (chamerion angustifolium) is not armored but is highly adapted to post-fire landscapes. It produces abundant, lightweight seeds that are easily dispersed by wind into burned areas, allowing it to quickly colonize open, nutrient-rich soils.

Shape

Seed shape can act as a natural timer, delaying germination until conditions are favourable. For example, butterfly milkweed (asclepias tuberosa) produces flattened seeds that may lodge sideways in the soil, waiting for the right moisture and temperature to sprout. Similarly, wild bergamot (monarda fistulosa) has irregularly shaped seeds that can settle in cracks or uneven soil surfaces, allowing staggered germination and increasing the chances of survival in variable environments.

Some seeds like trilliums, mimic insect eggs! This discourages some insects from laying eggs nearby – except ants are the main dispersers of trillium seeds. Trillium seeds have a fleshy appendage called an elaiosome. The elaiosome looks like a nutritious treat, sometimes resembling an insect egg or small food item.  Ants carry the seeds back to their nests, eat the elaiosome, and discard the seed itself in their soil, which is a safe place for germination.  So, while the seed’s shape may deter other insects, it’s actually designed to attract ants for dispersal This is called myrmecochory (seed dispersal by ants).

So now I get it – “chory” must mean dispersal – myrmecochory is by ants and epizoochory is by animals.

So it seems that the shape of seeds is related to where they survive.  Winged seeds reside in open windy spaces, barbed or sticky seeds live in areas with wildlife, seeds that float due to air or shape do well in wetlands and heavy or round seeds do well in forests.  It’s all about survival!

Germination

Some perennial seeds need winter to wake up

When starting seeds for our gardens, not every seed variety behaves the same way.  North American wildflowers that experience a cold winter have evolved to wake up and germinate only after a long winter. Survival depends on them waking up at the right time.

Many perennials (like asters and Canada anemone) won’t germinate unless they experience cold stratification (weeks of cold, moist conditions); in nature, that’s winter.  This can be achieved by placing seeds in soil in the refrigerator or even outside for a period of time to give them their needed winter siesta!

Old Seeds – New Seeds

Generally, fresh seeds have higher germination rates. But some perennial seeds remain viable for years or even decades.

In alpine environments, certain species can “sleep” in soil seed banks while waiting for the right conditions. Alpine forget-me-nots (myosotis alpestris), produce seeds that can remain dormant in soil for many years, sometimes a decade or more.

Other species show the opposite strategy – they must be sown fresh. Foamflower (tiarella cordifolia) seeds lose viability quickly and often germinate poorly after even one winter of storage.

And in contrast to both, some Canadian wildflowers such as fireweed (chamerion angustifolium) produce seeds that can survive in the soil for decades emerging only when a disturbance creates the right conditions.

Perennial seeds often don’t want to be buried

We always think of burying seeds safely below the surface of the soil to germinate.  But in nature many wildflowers would just drop to the surface of the soil.  They wait until the sun gets to the right level of brightness to germinate.  Unlike many annuals, some perennial seeds (like foxglove and primrose) need light to germinate. Bury them too deep and they’ll refuse to sprout.  My lowbush blueberries planted on the surface of the soil in a bright window didn’t germinate until the bright sunlight of spring shone in and TADA – sprouts appeared!  It wasn’t just light that was needed, it was bright light for long periods!

Some seeds are chemically picky

A few perennial seeds respond to smoke chemicals or compounds released after wildfires. This is common in prairie and Mediterranean species as the fire clears competition and seeds seize the moment. Other seeds need a little bit of acid to trigger germination. In nature they may be digested by birds and exposed to stomach acid, which helps to break the seed coating and get things started!

Not all perennial seeds grow “true”

So many plants that we buy are hybrids, plants that are created from seeds that cross pollinate with other plants to create new characteristics.  Then the plants are cloned by cuttings or divisions.  These will be true to the parent plant.  Seeds from hybrid perennials (like many modern coneflowers or salvias) may produce plants that look different from the parent—new colors, shapes, or vigor.

Some seeds germinate unevenly on purpose

Perennial seeds often sprout over weeks or months, not all at once. This strategy ensures that if one batch fails (frost, drought, deer…), others survive.

Some are ridiculously hard-coated

Seeds like baptisia or sweet pea have shells so tough they’re nearly waterproof. In nature, they rely on abrasion, microbes, or digestion by animals to crack them open. This is often faked with sanding or soaking.

The Old Seed Test

Gardeners sometimes test seed viability by soaking seeds in water, assuming that those which sink are alive and those that float are dead. In reality, this method is unreliable for many species. Some viable seeds float simply because they contain air pockets or have naturally buoyant seed coats. Others may not yet be fully dried and will absorb water slowly, causing them to float at first and sink later. Conversely, some nonviable seeds will still sink. While soaking can reveal obvious duds in a few large, dense seeds, it is not a dependable test of viability across species.

Heat Mats

Heat mats are often treated as a universal requirement for starting seeds, but many plants don’t want extra warmth at all. While heat-loving vegetables and annuals benefit from bottom heat, numerous native perennials have adapted to cool spring soils. For these species, warmth can actually delay or prevent germination. In seed starting, more heat isn’t always better—sometimes it’s the wrong signal entirely.

Imported Seeds

Seeds carry the memory of the climates they come from, which is why starting with varieties adapted to conditions like your own can make things easier. Still, gardening is full of small acts of defiance. We try seeds anyway. And it’s worth remembering that many of the flower seeds we grow in Canada were never produced here in the first place—often grown in places like Holland, then imported and repackaged by Canadian companies. However plants, like people, are often more adaptable than we expect.

Thats all for now and I hope you found something of interest within my rather enthusiastic information dump about seeds – I can’t help myself. Personally I find them endlessly fascinating like tiny little time capsules with their own secret plans for the future.

Hope you enjoyed as it is time to have a serious conversation with my plants.

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