Wind greatly affects plants throughout their growth. When plants are seedlings, slight breezes help them grow more sturdy. Another positive effect is in pollination. The wind can blow pollen from one plant to fertilize itself or other plants.

Wind can also spread the resulting seeds. Plants cannot walk around and take their seeds to other places, they have developed other methods to disperse (move) their seeds. The most common methods are wind, water, animals, explosion and fire.

Have you ever blown on a dandelion head and watched the seeds float away? This is wind dispersal. Seeds from plants like dandelions, swan plants and cottonwood trees are light and have feathery bristles and can be carried long distances by the wind. Some plants, like kauri and maple trees, have ‘winged’ seeds. They don’t float away but flutter to the ground. With wind dispersal, the seeds are simply blown about and land in all kinds of places. To help their chances that at least some of the seeds land in a place suitable for growth, these plants have to produce lots of seeds.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service