Germination

Seeds come in all different shapes and sizes. But every seed contains an embryo. This embryo is what will go onto become a fully grown plant.

So when a seed finds itself in the right conditions it will start to grow, this is called germination.

Most seeds need moisture, oxygen and warmth in order to germinate. The amounts of each thing can differ depending on the type of plant and how it has adapted to its environment.

Fun fact: Some seeds are very fussy and need really special conditions to germinate. For example, there are seeds that are unable to germinate unless they have passed through an animal’s digestive tract (yuk!). Or seeds that spring to life after being exposed to really high temperatures during bush fires (ouch!).