The Amazing Plant Seed © 2006

The Plant Seed

Seed size has virtually no impact upon the size of plant which grows from it. Some of the largest plants may grow from seed the size of dust, and smaller plants may sometimes be produced from large seeds.

Seeds in the wild depend upon a number of different mechanisms to allow them to reach the proper locations and conditions for them to germinate. Some have fluffy wings to allow the wind to disperse them over a wide area. Others have velcro-like spurs to stick to animals fur. Others clothe themselves in fleshy fruit which in turn is eaten by birds and animals and thus dispersed. Many of these need the harsh enzymes produced by the digestive systems of these animals to dissolve the seed coat sufficiently to allow germination and grow into healthy plants.

The seed is kind of an amazing thing. Everything needed to grow a plant is packed into such a small package. The type of plant, how big it will grow, what kind of leaves it will have, and its flower color. Literally the entire blueprint of the plant is contained within that tiny little package we call a seed.

All flowering plants grow from seeds, and that includes just about everything found in the flower and vegetable garden, excluding ferns, fungi, and mosses. The tiny seed produces everything from the diminutive moss roses to the huge oak tree.

Seeds are of immense commercial value to us. Corn supplies both food for us and also the livestock we depend upon for meat and protein. Corn is now also being explored as a heat source, too. Soy beans supply plastics, cooking oils and other important products. Other grain crops are used to make bread, beer, and other plant items we use in our everyday life.

The amazing seed packs everything needed to grow a plant into a compact package. Seeds are produced by all flowering plants and supply both man and animal with food. Seeds are an indispensable part of our world.

Formation and Structure of the Seed in Angiosperms

Seed Dormancy

Methods of Seed Dispersal

Seed Germination

Seed Planting Guide – Annual Flowers

Planting Flower and Vegetable Seed Indoors

Seed Planting Guide – Vegetables

Seed Starting Trays – A Primer

Seed Storage

Saving Seed

Starting Seeds With A Seed Germination Mat

Germination Made Simple