Whirlybirds

Every time I verify a fact that I think I know about some plant or animal, I always end up learning lots more than I thought I would.  And that's one of the reasons I love keeping this blog.  Take wind dispersal of tree seed pods, for example.

These seed pods are called helicopters or whirlybirds.  I found them scattered like gems on the shore, practically pulsing with the new life within.

Notice the crook in these pods.  This allows them to be acted upon by the wind in the same way that a helicopter rotor moves through the air.

Others are called spinners, flutterers, gliders and parachutes.  Each category has pods of a certain shape and design, which affects how they maneuver through the air as they make their trip earthward.