A seed is a plant's way of waiting. Inside its protective coat lies an embryo and a store of food, held in a state of suspended life until conditions are right. Some seeds sprout within days of falling, while others need a winter's cold, a passage through an animal's gut, or the heat of a wildfire before they will stir. Certain species can remain viable for decades, and a date palm has been grown from a seed roughly two thousand years old found in an ancient fortress.
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