#seeddistribution

[eric-sadahire]

Animals are something invented by plants to move seeds around. 

An extremely yang solution to a peculiar problem which they faced. 

[seedkeeping]

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) thrives near humans. We clear forests creating seedy weedy places; we put out bird feeders filled with thistle seed, that they then disperse everywhere (I'm constantly weeding it out of my gardens because of this); and our decorative grasses and flowers, and in this case, sunflowers, provide buffets of good eating. Its beak is conical - see how it cracked the sunflower seed hull in the top photo, with the meat of the seed easily munched. The assumed earliest specimens of sunflowers, aka Helianthus annuus, dated 2300 BC, were found in Tennessee, but recently older specimens were found in Tabasco, Mexico, dated 2600 BC. Both are in the migratory patterns of goldfinches. This is an ancient relationship I entered into when I planted the parents of these sunflowers last year at the farm at Bartram's Garden in Southwest Philly. These messy eaters are making sure it continues, by dropping plenty of seed for next year's crop while they eat. This has become a seed saving technique for me: let the birds handle it. #goldfinch #spinustristis #sunflower #helianthusannuus #ooloi #seeddistribution #seedsaving