It was a bitterly cold, frosty morning when I wandered around the garden and came across this oddity. I initially thought that the seedheads on the Japanese Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ were coated with frost, but as soon as I drew closer I saw that it wasn’t frost, it looked like cotton wool, with just a tiny hint of frost on top.
After sleuthing around on the internet I discovered that the odd substance on the seedheads was caused by exploding seeds. I’m sure many of you will give a little smile because you already know that seeds can explode, but this is new to me! If this is a regular occurrence, I’ve been missing the show for years.
It appears that there are many other exploders in the plant world, including the humble dandelion, with one of the loudest being in the Euphorbia family. It appears that they explode with an audible crack and fling their seeds 2-3 metres into the air. And to think that I’ve blamed the birds and the wind for scattering so many self-seeders in places they’re not supposed to be!
During my sleuthing, I came across this little video clip by the BBC – with the wonderful Sir David Attenborough finding joy and laughter as he nudges some seed heads to explosion point. The link below will take you to the BBC’s YouTube channel.
EXPLODING seed pods make Sir David Attenborough laugh
I’m now questioning why I’ve never been aware of this little marvel of nature. Perhaps I was hiding away in the warmth of the house, but whatever the reason, this is one amateur who’s learning, a little bit at a time, to have more respect for the fascinating world of plants. 😀
Notes From My Garden 
A little bit of fun while we wait out the dormant seasons.
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I think I’ll have to get a cane and do a David Attenborough next year. My grandchildren would have a great laugh if I could find something that would pop.
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I have seen this on other anemones which explains why they pop up all over the garden.
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I think it does. 😀 I’ll be watching next time round.
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Apparently violets do the same. David Attenborough provides us with such fascinating videos.
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He’s a remarkable man isn’t he. I didn’t know that about violets – I’ll have to compile a list!
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How fun, and the video was great, too. Exploding seedpods are so fun! My favorites to pop are Spotted Jewelweeds. https://tinyurl.com/ajjk6tpz
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I like the way they curl back before exploding, Beth. Great fun. I don’t think we have Spotted Jewelweeds on this side of the Atlantic, it’s not one I’m familiar with.
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I have seen this on anemones, and I suspect there are a few other flowers in our gardens that explode without us ever knowing! We have Himalayan Balsam growing wild near us and that has exploding seedpods too! Here’s a little video I found on youtube. It is fun popping them!
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I must search our garden for those that will explode – my grandchildren would have fun popping them. though I might have seedlings everywhere! Thanks, Cathy, for posting the video.
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