A Pinyon Pine/Piñon Seed Update
February 7, 2025
Give a seed the right conditions ……. enough water, sunlight, the perfect temperature ….. and this small package cannot resist emerging from its protective coat to grow into a full grown plant.
Seeds are tiny marvels of nature.
Think about it ……. a seed is really a living baby plant (the embryo) surrounded by a cozy blanket (the endosperm) that cradles and nourishes the embryo while tucked inside the seed coat. When the coat unzips, freeing the “baby” as it begins to grow, it continues to be nourished by the endosperm until the first true leaves appear. Witnessing the process is so cool!
After collecting piñon seeds from last November’s foraging expedition, (Piñon or Pinyon, Piñon Seed or Pine Nut), we decided to treat a dozen or so to conditions just right to stimulate germination. But first the seeds required a short period of stratification (moisture) to help soften and crack the seed coats. Introducing moisture was done by lining a clear glass jar with damp paper towels and placing the seeds between the towels and glass to watch the action.
Soon embryonic roots (the radicles) successfully cracked the seed coats of nine seeds and began growing downward, as roots tend to do. In a week or so, before the embryonic leaves (cotyledons) appeared, all of the germinating embryos were planted. Six of the nine then sprouted their whorled cotyledons, followed by a growth spurt of the first true leaves, initiating the process of food manufacturing (photosynthesis).
All of the germination and seedling development details of these piñon seeds, to date, can be found in my update illustrations.
Seed germination is a fascinating process, and like the seed itself, is also a marvel of nature. Have you ever tried to germinate a seed? If not, give it a go. It’s fun, educational, and imagination provoking ….. from such a small seed comes a full-grown flowering plant!
As always, thanks for stopping by!
a curious nature 
Mike, this artist does interesting sketchbooks of the natural world. She doesn’t just paint, she really researches what she has found, which makes her notebooks twice as interesting. I only draw because I can understand something better as I put its parts on paper where I can see them better. A lot of artists take it one step further and keep digging into their subject.
Enjoy!!!
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Thanks so much for sharing my post with another person (Mike) ….. and especially thank you for noticing how I not only enjoy the art aspect of nature but love researching my subjects as well! So much fun! Awesome that you enjoy observing your subjects to more accurately create your drawings!
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Such a fun experiment and I like that you had the seeds against the clear jar so you could watch the progress! Seeds are fascinating — a bundle of contained energy just waiting for the right conditions. Will these seedlings be embellishing your property? That would be a fun way to watch them “in the wild” when they are big enough!
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Hi Karen! Seed germination is so much fun. Watching the action is double the fun. It may not be exactly like raising a kid, but I’ve bonded with the little seedlings ….. and yup! They will have an honored place in our new yard (but only after they can take care of themselves!).
thanks for commenting, always!!!
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Wonderful title Barb and your post has given me more to consider when I pass pine trees during my rides. Thank you for sharing your incredible talents and passions!
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Dear Michele! I’m so tickled you found my post and it’s title inspiration to add for biking observations. Your comments are always so heartwarming, thoughtful and generous! Thank you always for following.
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You’re welcome, Barb and thank you! 🌳
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