The following article was written by Max Kornetzke, the Land Manager at the Woodland Dunes Nature Center.
This time of year I will get down close to the ground to investigate what has begun to emerge. My neighbors may think I look silly crawling around in the dirt, but I find it endlessly exciting to watch closely for which days each type of plant will find it just right to poke out of the ground. Even more exciting is the new seedlings that are beginning to unfurl after enduring the ebb and flow of winter freezing and spring thaw.
Many of these seeds require this seasonal process of cold stratification in order to properly germinate in the spring. As the soil warms, chemical signals within the seed are triggered to send out roots as well as seed leaves called cotyledon. Cotyledons are the earliest leaf structures of flowering plants. Some plant species have cotyledons that develop underground, but the cotyledons most of us are likely familiar with develop above ground and act as tiny solar panels for young plants, beginning the process of photosynthesis.
Cotyledons are further split into two groups: monocotyledon (monocots) and dicotyledon (dicots). This refers to whether they have one or two seed leaves. Most who have grown veggies, sprinkled grass seed in their lawn or grown a flower from seed have seen these before. Common monocots are plants in the grass family, onions, irises, lilies, and orchids. Most other flowering plants are dicots and have two seed leaves.
After cotyledons have helped the plant establish and produce enough energy, their first true leaves will begin to emerge. A monocot’s first true leaves are linear and bladelike, usually similar but larger than their cotyledon, while a dicot’s first true leaves are usually tiny versions of what their leaves will look like as mature plants.
Watching plants throughout each season as well as growing them from seed is an excellent way to familiarize oneself with plant identification. I’ve found the more I grow and observe, the more connected to my surroundings I feel, especially when growing native plants that benefit the wildlife and foodweb around me.
I hope you all have the opportunity to slow down and take a look at what’s popping up all around you.
