Tree seeds are the natural way of a tree to reproduce itself and generate further generations of trees and the survival of its tree species. But what are tree seeds and how are they produced ? There is various elements to consider when analysing tree seeds.
Tree seeds are usually the fruit of the tree. Each species of tree will produce various shape of tree seeds and for certain species the shape is essential to the tree seeds mission of continuing the tree species survival. Some trees, especially fruit trees, will produce real fruit with a In spring, most tree will produce their fruit with an inner seed. The fruits as seeds or the edible fruit are the result of a pollenisation operation of two trees. The bearing tree is considered the mother tree while the pollen providing tree is the father tree. It is not always easy to find which tree as provided the pollen to fecundate the mother tree. Pollen is dispersed by winds and mostly insects such as bees.
The cross pollenisation of tree species if often seen in many species, and for some species it is essential. While other tree species will only require pollen from a same family tree. The result of cross pollenisation will often result in a different genetic set for the resulting tree of the seeds. Much like human, the mix of a male and female genetic sets, will produce a similar genetic set, but different in so many ways. This is the same for all tree seeds produced by a tree. This will sometime result in a tree with different leaves color or a different bark or even a different growth rate. These are called cultivars. It usually takes 7 years of constant difference to declare a new cultivar of tree. Some producer will force the cross pollenisation , and this is called hybridisation.
Fruits as seeds will appear after the flower in early spring. It will take the whole summer to produce an adult tree seeds, and in fall, the seeds will drop from the tree to be ready for germination next spring.
Some trees have procedures and techniques for dispersing their tree seeds. Maples and most conifer/evergreen trees have wings associated with seeds. This will result of farther seeds dispersal when time comes. Fruit trees will rely on animals to disperse the seeds. The animals will travel with the fruit and seeds and eat the flesh of the fruit and leaves the seeds behind. Some will eat the seeds and it will be digested by the animal and release farther by the animal with their excrement. For certain tree species, this is essential to trigger germination, The acid found in the stomach of certain animal will trigger a biological process in the tree seeds to prepared the seeds for germination.
Some tree seeds have mechanism to prevent early germination and to trigger germination of the tree seeds a process called stratification is essential. The mechanism is called dormancy. Various dormancy are found in tree seeds. Some even have double dormancy which means it will take even more time to germinate. To easily explain dormancy we will illustrate dormancy in maple tree. Tree seeds of maple tree are falling in autumn, but if the seeds would germinate at that period, the young seedling would not survive the cold of winter since it didn’t had time to harden before winter. This is why the maple tree seeds will need a period of stratification to remove the dormancy. This is naturally occurring in winter and next spring a chemical process will trigger the seeds to germinate when right temperature comes. The seedling will have the whole summer to harden before next winter. For double germination, it can be that it will take 2 cold seasons before the tree seeds is ready for germination.
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