plants that explode
Matthew Wilson
Updated on July 27, 2026
Firecracker plants (Crossandra spp.) are aptly named because of their pretty orange flowers and exploding seed pods. These capsules dry out first then pop open once they become moist again.
What are explosive plants?
Explosive plants are a type of plant that explode upon attacking. Some of them are instant kills; they explode to kill zombies. In Plants vs. Zombies Adventures, when killed by an explosive plant, the animation is the same as if the zombie was killed by other means, such as if a Peashooter killed it.
Which plants disperse their seeds through explosion?
Peas, lupins and violas spread their seeds by exploding them out of pods! This clever mechanism means the seeds shoot far from the parent plant and doesn’t rely on animals or other factors.
Why do plants burst?
If placed in a hypotonic solution, water molecules will enter the cell, causing it to swell and burst. Plant cells (bottom panel) become plasmolyzed in a hypertonic solution, but tend to do best in a hypotonic environment. Water is stored in the central vacuole of the plant cell.
What tree has seeds that explode?
sandbox tree, (Hura crepitans), large tree in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) native through most of tropical America. The sandbox tree is among the largest trees of tropical America and is interesting for its pumpkin-shaped seed capsules that explode with a loud report, scattering the seeds.
Are there plants that shoot seeds?
The Chinese witch hazel can shoot its seeds up to 18 meters
The plant—long known for its anti-inflammatory properties—can fire seeds at more than 12 meters per second, and with the force of a bullet fired from a 19th century gun.
Why does sandbox tree fruit explode?
The tree has distinctly different male and female flowers. Once fertilized, the female flowers produce the pods containing the sandbox tree’s exploding seeds. Sandbox tree fruit looks like little pumpkins, but once they dry into seed capsules, they become ticking time bombs.
What plants have airborne seeds?
Seeds from plants like dandelions, swan plants and cottonwood trees are light and have feathery bristles and can be carried long distances by the wind. Some plants, like kauri and maple trees, have ‘winged’ seeds. They don’t float away but flutter to the ground.
What are the two examples of seed dispersal by explosion?
Seed Dispersal by Explosions
Okra, Lupins, gorse, and broom are a few examples of plants whose seeds are dispersed by Explosions. Pea and bean plants also have pods and the seeds burst out when they ripen and pod has dried.
Why do wisteria seeds pop?
So why does Wisteria have these wacky exploding pods? It’s how the plant distributes its seeds in nature. If they just dropped straight to the ground, the new seedlings would be in competition with each other (and the parent vine) and wouldn’t be able to reach new places to grow.
What are the 5 types of seed dispersal?
There are five main modes of seed dispersal: gravity, wind, ballistic, water, and by animals. Some plants are serotinous and only disperse their seeds in response to an environmental stimulus.
What is bursting of seed?
Exploding seed pods are a dramatic example of the many and varied strategies that plants use to disperse their seeds. The energy to power these explosions was thought to be generated through the seed pods deforming as they dried out.
What plant has the biggest thorns?
Honey Locust
The honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos, is a fast growing, deciduous tree native to the central US. It looks like something out of your worst nightmare, with large clumps of thorns protruding from its trunk and branches – some up to eight inches long.
Is the dynamite tree real?
It can be recognized by its smooth brown bark covered in many dark, pointed spines which have led to its being nicknamed monkey no-climb. Because its fruit explodes when ripe, it has also received the colloquial nickname the dynamite tree. L. Hura brasiliensis Willd.
What tree has spikes and fruit that explodes?
The Sandbox Tree, Hura Crepitans, has a trunk covered in thorns and its fruit explodes when ripe.
Do eucalyptus trees explode when on fire?
Eucalypts can indeed explode; in the heat of a fire, the sap of the tree expands and can seep through cracks in the bark.