How Do Seeds Move?

Have you ever looked in your front yard and found flowers that no one planted? How could these plants get to your yard? Is it magic? No, it’s an idea called seed dispersal. First, let’s think about what this term could mean. To disperse an item means to distribute or spread around. Seed dispersal is the way seeds are spread to make sure that their species continues to live and grow. A species is like a family. It’s a group of living things that are alike. In order to stay alive, a species has to reproduce (or make more of themselves). Seeds can be moved around by animals, wind, machines, and people. When a bird eats a sunflower seed, the seed particles go through its digestive tract. At some point, the bird drops the seed particles in your yard. Then, the seed particles are watered by rain and will at some point, create a new sunflower. How can we, as humans, spread seeds to help plants stay alive?

The Experiment

Like an animal or the wind, people also move seeds. Watch the effects of seed distribution as you spread seeds in your own yard!

Materials

Soil (Rich in nutrients)

bag of soil

Wildflower seeds (native to your area are best!)

bag of wildflower seeds

Air Dry Clay (must be actual clay that softens with water, No play-dough) or use shredded newspaper instead.

air dry clay

Parchment paper or wax paper

paper towel with shading

Toothpick (optional: make a seed pop)

updated toothpick visual
Directions
STEP 1

Take a small ball of clay (about the size of your eye).

STEP 2

Flatten out your clay ball like a round disk.

STEP 3

Make a taco shell shape.

STEP 4

Take a pinch or two of soil to sprinkle in the center of the clay taco shell shape.

STEP 5

Close the clay around the soil, like a ravioli pasta!

STEP 6

Drop your clay into a bowl of seeds and press them into the clay lightly.

STEP 7

Wrap your seed roll/pop in a small piece of wax paper so it doesn’t get messy in your pocket!

STEP 8

Take it home and “roll/pop” it in your garden or another safe place where it will get lots of water and sunshine!

Dinner Talk
  • How were the seeds spread?
  • How would the wind help seed dispersal?
  • What could you do to make the seeds move faster? Slower?
Extra Enrichment
  • Watch this video about the movement of seeds.

  • Conduct research (with the help of a caregiver) a seed drill at your local library.

  • Pick a dandelion that is still in the “puffy” stage. Blow on the white seeds and watch as they are blown into the wind. It is often said that if you make a wish while blowing on a dandelion, it will come true! What would this have to do with seed dispersal?

This Grab and Go is brought to you by
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This work is supported by the CYFAR grant no. 2017-46100-27224, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.