With the lightest touch, this plant bursts open, flinging its seeds through the air. Here’s how it evolved this biological ...

Don't be disappointed if all the fluffy seeds of a dandelion don't fly away with a single blow. The gust of wind from your lungs may be strong, but the dandelion's natural desire to control how its ...

Though mostly rooted in the ground, plants have a number of innovative ways to disperse their seeds and get on with the business of propagation. They drop seeds or release them to the wind. Or they ...

The sandbox tree launches seeds at 150 mph by exploding its ripe fruits. This explosive dispersal helps seeds escape crowded forest competition. The tree grows in tropical rainforests from Mexico to ...

Waterbirds play a pivotal role in the dispersal of plant seeds, thereby influencing the distribution, genetic connectivity, and composition of ecosystems across diverse habitats. Their dual seed ...

Anna Nordseth is an ecology writer and Duke University Ph.D. candidate specializing in tropical forest ecology, conservation research, and biodiversity. Think plants can’t move? You’re only half right ...

"Ballistic seed dispersal" is not something you see often in plants – and for good reason, perhaps, when you see just what the affectionately called squirting cucumber is capable of. Shunning external ...

High on sunshine, humans often decide when dandelions get to spread their species -- but the puffballs have their own ideas on how best to proliferate. Knowing what causes dandelions to spread could ...

The plants we consume for food have changed drastically in the 10,000 years since humans began practicing agriculture, but hominids have been intensively interacting with the plants and animals around ...