Not only do we plan to compare their flight performance against the more recognizable maple samara, but we will also study how these seeds respond to perturbations such as wing damage and crosswinds.

In nature, maple disperse to new growth sites with the help of flying wings in their samara, or dry fruit. The wings help the seed to rotate as it falls, allowing it to glide in a gentle breeze.

As Leonardo da Vinci did with his "aerial screw", researchers will take inspiration from plant seeds which use flying dispersal mechanism and burrowing strategies to penetrate into the soil, such as ...