Sticky, Sweet, Explosive: How Native Plants Disperse Their Seeds

When it comes to reproducing and spreading their species, native plants have evolved some truly ingenious seed dispersal strategies. These methods—shaped by thousands of years of adaptation to local conditions—don’t just ensure survival; they also present a fascinating challenge for those of us trying to harvest and process these seeds.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these strategies.

Built-in Ballistics: Explosive Dispersal

Some plants prefer a more dramatic exit strategy. Ballistic dispersal—think of it as nature’s version of a slingshot—is used by plants like Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) and Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). When mature, their seedpods build up internal pressure and explode when touched, flinging seeds several feet away.

Image: Spotted Jewelweed flower

Image: Jewelweed aka "Touch me not" seeds exploding on touch

This is an extremely effective method for ensuring seeds don’t land in the shadow of their parent. But if you're trying to collect seeds, timing is everything. Wait too long, and the pods will burst before you can get to them. Harvest too early, and the seeds might not be viable. Often, seed collectors will bag seed heads before they ripen to catch the seeds mid-flight.

Tiny Gardeners: Ant-Dispersed Seeds

One of the most fascinating—and often overlooked—seed dispersal strategies is called myrmecochory, or dispersal by ants. Certain native plants, such as Fringed Polygala (Polygaloides paucifolia), have evolved seeds with specialized structures called elaiosomes—fleshy, nutrient-rich attachments that ants find irresistible.

Image: seeds with elaiosomes

Here's how it works: the ants carry the seeds back to their nests to eat the elaiosome. Once they’ve had their snack, they discard the seed itself in their underground chambers or waste piles—essentially planting it in a protected, nutrient-rich spot where it has an excellent chance of germinating.

This mutualistic relationship benefits both species: the plant gets reliable dispersal and a favorable microhabitat for its seed, while the ants get a convenient food source. 

Image: Fringed Polygala

From a seed harvesting perspective, this strategy presents a unique challenge. Because the seeds are small, dropped quickly, and hidden underground, timing and ground-level observation are key. By the time a human comes along to collect seeds, ants may have already removed a large portion of them. For rare or delicate species like Fringed Polygala, that means collectors often need to monitor flowering and fruiting closely and may have only a small window to gather seeds before they disappear into the soil. This makes this species very hard to cultivate if you're a human gardener and not an ant. 

Despite the difficulty, this ant-assisted dispersal is a beautiful reminder of the quiet cooperation that exists in nature—and another testament to the complex and clever strategies native plants use to thrive.

Sweet Rewards: Fruit-Fueled Dispersal

Another common method, particularly among fleshy-fruited plants, is endozoochory—a strategy that involves enticing animals to eat the fruit, thereby transporting the seed inside them. After digestion, the animal deposits the seed elsewhere, often in a nice pile of nutrient-rich fertilizer.

Image: Wild Blackberry

While this strategy works wonders in nature, it complicates seed saving. To harvest seeds from berries, such as elderberry or viburnum, we typically need to crush the fruit, soak and rinse the pulp away, and decant the mixture to separate viable seeds. It’s a messier, more labor-intensive process than simply collecting dry seeds—but it's necessary if we want to preserve these species and grow them from seed.

Carried by the Wind: Fluffy Floaters

Many native plants, especially members of the Aster family and milkweeds, rely on the wind to carry their seeds. These seeds often have fluffy appendages called pappus, acting like parachutes that let them drift on the breeze. It’s an elegant and energy-efficient strategy for long-distance dispersal.

Image: Milkweed seeds with pappus

For seed harvesters, wind-dispersed seeds present two main challenges: timing and cleaning. If the seeds are left too long, a windy day could scatter them before collection. And once harvested, separating the seed from the fluff—especially with tiny species like asters—can be tedious. Larger seeds like milkweed, however, are easier to process, as their fluff can be pulled or blown away with minimal effort.

The Hitchhikers: Seeds That Stick Around (Literally)

One of the most frustrating—and fascinating—strategies is known as epizoochory, or seed dispersal by attaching to animals. Pictured below is a glove completely covered in the hooked seedpods of Canada Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense), a native plant that uses Velcro-like hairs to latch onto anything that brushes past—deer, dogs, pant legs, or, in this case, me.

This strategy allows the plant to send its seeds far from the parent plant, reducing competition and increasing the chances of landing in a suitable environment. From an evolutionary standpoint, it’s brilliant. From a seed harvester’s perspective, it can be a bit of a nightmare. Collecting these seeds means manually removing them from clothing or fur, a time-consuming and sometimes painful process.

Water Voyagers: Seeds That Float

Aquatic and wetland species often use hydrochory, or water-based dispersal. Seeds may be buoyant, riding currents to new germination spots, or they may use animals as aquatic taxis. For example, seeds may stick to the feet or fur of animals wading through wetlands and get carried to new areas. Blue-Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) is a native example of dispersal by buoyancy. 

Image: Blue Flag Iris flower in wetland

Image: Blue Flag Iris seeds and seed pods

These seeds can sometimes be tricky to collect, as they may fall directly into water bodies or be scattered over wide, swampy areas. Processing often involves drying, washing, and sometimes fermenting seeds to ensure they remain viable for planting.

The Takeaway: Evolutionary Genius, Harvesting Hurdles

Native plants are experts in getting their seeds where they need to go—whether that’s hitching a ride, riding a breeze, floating on water, or getting flung into the distance. Each of these strategies is the result of millions of years of co-evolution with local animals, landscapes, and climates.

For seed savers, these strategies mean that no two harvests are quite the same. Successful seed collection requires not just knowledge of plant biology, but also good timing, keen observation, and sometimes a bit of wrestling with clingy pods or sticky berries.

But there’s beauty in the challenge. Understanding a plant’s seed dispersal strategy connects us more deeply to the natural world and the intricate systems that support it. And with each seed we collect, we’re helping to ensure the future of these incredible native species.