Why do dandelions turn fluffy?
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Transcript
A yellow dandelion is growing in the grass. How does it become a fluffy white ball?
After the yellow flower is done blooming, its tiny flower parts make seeds. Each seed grows a little white parachute.
The white parachutes open into a round, fluffy puff. They help the seeds catch the wind.
A breeze can lift the seeds and carry them far away. If a seed lands in good soil, it can grow a new dandelion.
So dandelions turn fluffy to help their seeds travel. The fluff is like a tiny parachute for each seed.
For grown-ups: the science
Dandelions turn fluffy because their seeds grow white parachutes that let the wind carry them away.
A dandelion flower head contains many small flowers. After pollination and seed development, each seed forms a feathery structure called a pappus. The pappus increases air resistance, allowing wind to disperse the seeds.