Hey there! Today, Squeaks and I had a fun adventure at the park where we saw lots of dandelion flowers. You know, those fluffy flowers that you can blow on to make a wish? Well, we learned something cool about them!
When you blow on a dandelion and make a wish, you’re actually helping the dandelion! The fluffy part of the dandelion is made up of seeds. Seeds are like baby plants. When they find a good spot with soil, water, air, and sunlight, they can grow into big plants.
By blowing the seeds away, you’re helping them travel to new places where they can grow. This is super important because seeds need space to grow. If they all stayed near the parent plant, there wouldn’t be enough room, soil, or sunlight for all of them.
Seeds have different ways to travel, depending on their structure. For example, dandelion seeds have fluffy tops that help them float in the wind, like tiny kites. This helps them fly to new places.
Other seeds, like those from maple trees, have wings that catch the wind. But not all seeds fly. Some, like coconuts, float on water. Coconuts are big seeds from coconut palm trees. When they fall into the water, they float to new places to grow.
Some seeds hitch a ride with animals. Burrs, for example, have tiny hooks that stick to fur or clothes. Animals carry them to new places without even knowing it!
Nuts, like acorns, are another type of seed. Animals like squirrels love to eat them. Sometimes, squirrels bury these seeds to eat later, but if they forget where they buried them, the seeds grow into new plants.
Fruits like apples and melons have seeds inside them. When animals eat these fruits, they carry the seeds in their stomachs. Later, when the animal poops, the seeds are left behind, ready to grow far away from the parent plant.
It’s amazing how seeds have so many ways to travel! If you want to learn more about how plants near you spread their seeds, take a close look at the seeds. Do they have wings, hooks, or something else?
Next time you’re at the park, like Squeaks and me, wish the seeds good luck on their travels. And if you want to keep exploring with us, make sure to subscribe to our adventures. See you next time at The Fort!
Seed Detective: Go on a nature walk with an adult and collect different types of seeds you find. Look for seeds with wings, fluffy tops, or hooks. Once you have a few, try to guess how each seed travels. Does it fly, float, or hitch a ride? Share your findings with a friend or family member and see if they can guess too!
Windy Day Experiment: On a windy day, take a few dandelion seeds or similar lightweight seeds outside. Blow them gently into the air and watch how they travel. How far do they go? Do they all go in the same direction? Try this in different weather conditions and see if the seeds travel differently on a calm day versus a windy day.
Animal Seed Helpers: Pretend you are a squirrel or a bird. Hide a few seeds in your backyard or a garden, just like squirrels bury acorns. After a few days, try to find them again. Did you remember where you hid them? Discuss with an adult how animals help seeds travel and grow in new places.
