When you imagine a seed, what comes to mind? For many, it’s the small, dry kind found in store-bought packets—ready to plant in a garden or snack on, salted or raw.

These seeds were harvested, cleaned, and prepared for our use. But in their most natural form, seeds are held in a variety of encasings; each as unique as the plant it came from, many unrecognizable as seed vessels at first glance.

Seed Production 101: Plants grow from seeds, mature, and produce flowers (or cones). After pollination, flowers develop into fruits that hold new seeds. These seeds can grow into new plants and repeat the cycle.

But the purpose of this post is not to go into fine details of plant reproduction; rather to familiarize ourselves visually with what parts of the plants seeds may be hiding in. This way we can be mindful of accidentally spreading invasive species and maybe even harvest and spread seeds of native species! 

Seedy vessels

*Not a technical term*, “seedy vessels” refer to the variety of forms and fruits seeds may show up in. Organized below by dispersal mechanism (how they may commonly spread). All seeds pictured come from different noxious weeds (except cones). This list is not exhaustive.

Wind dispersal

Seeds adapted to be carried by wind, often with fluff, wings, or parachutes. 

Avoid spreading these by controlling these plants before they flower, or at least before their flowers can develop into seeds. If they’ve already seeded, try not to disturb the plants, DO NOT MOW! If you must, in early stages of seeding you can bend seedy parts into garbage bags & cut those parts off, dispose in garbage.

Animal dispersal (humans included!)

Seeds that often rely on animals to move— by sticking to fur, clothes, or objects, being buried, or being eaten and deposited (poop!).

Avoid spreading these fruits by brushing your boots, gear, clothing, friends, and pets after working in an area with weedy berries or sticky weeds to prevent spreading them to new areas!

Fleshy fruits

Alternate exteriors

Explosive/mechanical dispersal

Seeds that may be forcibly ejected from pods or capsules. 

Avoid spreading these by controlling these plants before they flower, or at least before their flowers can develop into seeds. If they’ve already seeded, try not to disturb the plants and come back next season. If you must control plants in early stages of seeding, it’s best to use manual methods (dig, cut, or pull). Mowing will spread plants further, and for most plants it is too late to use herbicides.

Gravity or passive dispersal

Seeds that fall and rely on gravity or simple dropping. 

Avoid spreading these by controlling these plants before they flower, or at least before their flowers can develop into seeds. If it’s too late, it’s best to wait to control plants until next season. If you must, control plants in early stages of seeding as you usually would (not including herbicide – seeds present = too late).

Conclusion: learn your seeds, spread less weeds.

While the best way to stop seed spread is prevention (controlling weeds before they make seeds), seeds happen! Next time you see seedy weeds, you can move in confidence knowing that you can prevent their spread by keeping yourself and others clear of their path. If you have to walk through a seedy area, simply brush yourselves off before entering a new space. Lastly, take care of weeds on your property before they can make seeds, your neighbors and the environment will thank you.

You can learn about dozens of noxious weeds and their seeds on our website at kingcounty.gov/weeds.

Happy weeding!