"The seed is awakened in the darkness of the Earth, The leaves are quickened in the power of the Air, And all fruit is ripened in the might of the Sun. So awakens the Soul in the shrine of the Heart. So quickens the Spirit in the Light of the World. So ripens man's power in the glory of God."
Rudolf Steiner, Verses and Meditations
A viable seed is a living organism and contains the embryonic plant. A non-viable seed is dead and this can occur through bad storage conditions or age. As long as they have been stored or dispersed properly, and not exposed to extreme heat, seeds are living! Seeds are the end projects of fertilization. A viable seed has embryo (radicle and plumule) and endosperm (nourishing tissue). Endosperm can nourish the embryo for many months; in some case many years! You can do experiments that show that some of the tissues inside of seeds remain active and are going through some basic metabolic steps, such as in cellular respiration. In other words, seeds are using small amounts of stored energy, staying alive and "waiting" for good conditions to begin to grow. . Whenever seeds get favourable environmental conditions, air, water, and certain temperatures they will start germinating and begin to grow. Some seeds need special conditions, such as a period of cold weather or even being scorched in a forest fire to begin to grow. We can even say that seeds are the dormant stage of plants. Once germinated they certainly do appear to enjoy wide circulation!
Seeds are just as much living things as fertilized eggs or babies which are still within the mother's womb. Interestingly enough, more plants live underneath the soil as dormant seeds than above ground as plants.
