Genre: Information/Explanation

It 's tough for a little seed to make it in the big world . Not only must a seed land in a suitable place to grow , but it must also compete with existing plants for water , nutrients , and sunlight . Rough ! Given that both the parent plant and its offspring are usually at a disadvantage if they must contend with each other for these resources , evolution has shaped a number of ingenious adaptations for plants to disperse their seeds and fruits . Read on to learn about some of the strategies flowering plants employ to get their progeny to new places . Out to Sea Brian Gratwicke Coastal plants are generally very tolerant of salt water , and some are adapted to utilizing their watery habitat as a means of moving their seeds . The iconic coconut is perhaps the most-famous botanical seafarer . The thick floating fruits are impermeable to water and are filled with nutrients to keep the embryo alive for months at sea . As a result , the plants have successfully colonized tropical islands around the world . Similarly , certain mangrove species produce hardy propagules that can survive for up to a year in salt water . These long narrow structures float upright and root rapidly when they encounter a suitable substrate , allowing mangroves to shape shoreline ecosystems worldwide . Several freshwater plants , including the lotus , employ similar strategies and have long dormancies that allow them to wait until conditions are favorable to sprout . Explosive ! Kurt Stueber / www.BioLib.de Incredibly , a number of plant species utilize explosive force to fling their seeds away . Many mistletoes have explosive fruits with sticky seeds to ( hopefully ) propel their parasitic offspring high into neighboring trees . The sandbox tree , native to tropical America , has exploding capsules that can launch seeds up to 100 meters ( 330 feet ) away with speeds of up to 70 meters per second ( 160 mph ) ! People have been injured by the force of those seeds , and the sound of the explosion can be heard echoing through the forest . Some types of exploding fruits , such as the squirting cucumber , utilize built-up water pressure to expel the seeds , while others , such as certain violets , employ the tension from the drying fruits to fling their offspring away . Fur and Feathers Robert H. Mohlenbrock / U.S. Department of Agriculture , NRCS PLANTS Database Some seeds and fruits are adapted to stick to the fur or feathers ( or clothing ! ) of unsuspecting animals ; when the animal finally frees itself of its clingy passenger , the seed / fruit is usually far away from where it started . These tenacious structures typically feature hooks , barbs , spines , or even mucilage to attach to a passing animal . While most of these are nothing more than irksome , some , such as foxtails , can get trapped in an animal's ears or nose and injure the poor creature . Burdock , with its spiky hooked fruits , is said to have been the inspiration for Velcro ! Fly Away Equipped with parachutes or wings , gliders , or helicopters , a diverse group of plants have adaptations for wind dispersal . For example , each tiny dandelion fruit has a feathery " pappus " to help it catch a breeze ( or a dreamer's wish ) . Maple " whirlybirds " are winged fruits called samaras that spin their way to a new location . Some seeds , like those of the jacaranda , are " flutterers " and have papery edges to help them disperse . One of the most-amazing examples of wind dispersal is seen in the Javan cucumber , whose seeds are borne in translucent aerodynamic gliders that can be 12 cm ( about 5 inches ) across ! Buried Alive Mwanner Some plants have coevolved with animals in such a way that their seeds are collected and helpfully buried in a clever symbiosis . Squirrels famously misplace their buried caches of acorns , which then have an excellent chance of germinating . Interestingly , studies have shown that even half-eaten acorns can still sprout if the embryo inside is undamaged , meaning that squirrels unwittingly disperse more seeds than just those in their forgotten stores . Other seeds have fleshy structures called elaiosomes that specifically attract ( and feed ) ants , which take the seeds to their nests . Harvester ants and other species remove the tasty elaiosomes and dispose of the unwanted seeds in their dark fertile waste chambers – perfect for an embryonic plant ! Perhaps the most-incredible example of burial is seen in the relationship between dung beetles and Ceratocaryum argenteum , a grassy species . The seeds of this plant use " fecal mimicry " to trick the poor beetles into thinking they are lovely balls of dung in which to lay their eggs . The beetles roll the seeds away and bury them but get nothing in return .