Maple trees have a lot going for them. For starters, they’re diverse, with nearly 150 species. And they grow around the world, from the temperate forests of Appalachia to the mountains of northern China. In autumn, they brighten our forests and city streets. And they provide delicious syrup for our pancake breakfasts.
But what I like most about maples are their samaras.
In botany, a samara is the name for a dry fruit with a wing-like extension of papery tissue that’s attached to a single seed. This design allows the fruit to spin as it falls, creating lift that helps it travel beyond the shadow of its parent tree. That reduces competition for sunlight, water and nutrients, increasing the sapling’s chances for survival.
In most species, like maple, the seed is located on one side of the fruit. In other species, like elm, the seed is centered within the wing. Either way, the samara is a great example of evolutionary adaptation for wind dispersal.
These little flyers have many nicknames — wingnuts, keys, whirlybirds or spinning jennies. As kids, we used to peel apart the sticky green seeds and stick them on our noses. In the fall, I love to toss them in the air and watch them spin their way to the ground.
And maple seeds are edible and packed with protein! You can pop the young seeds right out of their wings, and eat them straight from the tree. Or slow-roast them for a tasty treat.
So there are lots of reasons to pay attention to samaras — those little helicopters that trees send spinning through the air.
