Maple seed is the specialized part of a maple tree that can grow a new plant. Maple seeds grow in pairs on a stem. Each seed is held within a small fruit called a samara. People call samaras by many regional names, including helicopters, whirligigs, and keys. A samara has a single broad, thin wing that causes it to whirl and float in the wind as it falls.
Samaras enable the falling seeds to be dispersed by the wind. If a tree seed germinates (sprouts) close to its parent tree, the sapling (young tree) must compete with the parent for light, water, and nutrients. The wind can blow a samara many yards or meters away from its parent tree . It has a chance of landing in an area where it will not have to compete with mature trees of the same species (kind).
Most maples produce seeds in the fall. But some species, including the silver maple, produce seeds in the spring. Silver maples grow along rivers and streams in much of the eastern and midwestern parts of the United States and in southeastern Canada. Botanists think this early seed production developed as an adaptation to growing near rivers that flood in the spring. Such flooding washes away plants and soil , leaving bare areas of ground. Many silver maple seeds fall on these bare areas and begin growing without competition from other plants.
Many animals eat maple seeds on occasion, including birds , chipmunk , deer , mice , and squirrels . People can also eat maple seeds prepared in a variety of ways.
