i never knew what lilac seeds looked like until i tried to figure out what was going on with this branch. obviously some buds are bursting, but less obviously, those little brown clusters are seed pods that have burst. lilacs spread their seeds by a process called ballistichory, from the same word as “ballistic.” in other words, the seed pods gather tension as they dry, and eventually burst open explosively enough to shoot their seeds out like mini shotguns. i’m not saying i exactly plan to set up camp under my lilac this summer in order to capture this, but i’m going to do some serious hanging out.

budding lilac twigs, with overwintered seed casings

saint paul, minnesota