A seed, as you know, is one of the ways in which a plant produces another plant of its own kind. But seeds need special conditions to grow. They need moisture, oxygen, and warmth. If a seed doesn’t start to grow within a certain time, the seed will die.

So it’s pretty important for a seed to get to the right place in the right time. Luckily, there are at least eight different ways for seeds to be scattered. Let’s take a look at each one.

One type of seed may be called a “hitch-hiker.” The outer covering of this type of seed has hooks, barbs, or spines. They catch on the fur of passing animals and on the clothing of people, and get carried about this way.

Other types of seeds are “stickers.” The seeds grow inside sticky berries. When the berries are eaten by birds, some seeds stick to the bird’s bill and thus get carried off.

The seeds of plants that grow in or near the water often fall into mud or water. As birds or animals walk along the shore looking for food, mud sticks to their feet, and this mud often contains the seeds that have fallen into the water.

Some seeds are actually the food of various animals. Squirrels, birds, and insects eat certain kinds of seeds. Since not all the seeds picked up by them are eaten, the rest are carried about to different places and thus scattered.

Man himself scatters many seeds without intending to. Grain contains many smaller seeds that are not cleaned out, and when grain is shipped, these seeds go along for the ride.

Some seeds get to new places by “flying” there. They may have fluffy attachments that are easily caught up by the wind. Maple seeds, for instance, come in pairs, each with a wing attached. Dandelion seeds are shaped like parachutes and are carried by the wind.

Certain seeds are “floaters.” They fall to the water and the wind “sails” them away. Finally, there are seeds that are scattered by explosions. Certain seed pods open suddenly as they dry and crack, throwing the seeds as much as several feet away!