What Plants Spread Their Seeds by Wind

Plants spread their seeds in two ways: one is with the help of external forces, such as wind, water, and being carried by animals and humans; the other is by relying on the force the plant itself produces. So, what plants spread their seeds by wind?

Plants that spread their seeds by wind include fireweed (Erechtites hieraciifolius), poplar, willow, maple, and dandelion, among others.

1. Fireweed (Erechtites hieraciifolius)

It is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant with a distinctive fragrance; its flowers cluster into drooping red flower heads. The fruit is a tiny achene bearing a pappus that is scattered by the wind. Fireweed prefers cool conditions and cannot tolerate high temperatures.

2. Poplar

The seeds are small, and the capsules split open as soon as they mature, so seeds are collected either by clipping off the fruit spikes or by gathering them from the ground. The seeds lose their viability very easily, so it is best to sow them as soon as they are collected. Sow and raise seedlings on sandy loam soil rich in humus.

3. Willow

It is a large deciduous tree, also known as yangliu. A deciduous tree or shrub of the genus Salix in the family Salicaceae, it has green leaves and slender, soft, drooping branches, and it prefers wet sites. The fruit is a capsule that splits into 2 valves when mature, containing many seeds, and the seeds bear a tuft of downy hairs, namely willow catkins. For sowing and raising seedlings, collect the seeds in April and sow them as soon as they are collected.

4. Maple

It is mainly propagated from seed. The winged fruits take a long time to fall after ripening, gradually drifting down with the wind, so they should be collected promptly. After collection, dry them in the sun for 3 to 5 days, and the clean winged fruits obtained after removing debris are the material for sowing.

5. Dandelion

Also known as huanghua diding, popodding, huahualang, and other names. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae. It has flower heads, and the seeds bear a fluffy ball formed of white pappus; after the flowers bloom, the seeds drift with the wind to new places to nurture new life.

Plants that spread their seeds by wind actually use the wind as a “matchmaker”; their flowers can be called wind-pollinated flowers. Wind-pollinated flowers produce pollen in great quantities, and the pollen is smooth and dry, some even bearing air sacs that make it easy to fly; with the help of the wind, the pollen can rise with the wind to altitudes of more than 2,000 m.