You may plant them in one place, but nature has its own planes, trains and subway system spreading out and moving on down the road. Plants like thes Verbena bonariensis will reseed in the garden. (Submitted photo / Pam Baytos)

Many ways are available for you to increase the number of plants, trees and shrubs you have in your landscape, but sometimes they take matters into their own hands.

Weeds are the ones that usually surprise us but many plants move along to other spots as well. So, pack a suitcase as we travel along with our moving landscape.

Our first mode of travel could be likened to an airplane as seeds may spread in several ways. Many have drifting or flying seeds that depend on the wind to carry them to new locations. Other plants may have exploding seed pods that fling their seeds into the air.

Lupines are one example as I was working in my flower bed and I kept hearing a popping noise. It took me a moment to realize that I was surrounded by my lupine plants.

There are seeds that are sticky and become attached to animals and us as we pass them and get carried to another location. Other seeds are contained inside fruits, nuts or berries. These get eaten by birds and animals and the seeds get dispersed through the animal’s droppings. I always seem to find sunflowers in the oddest places.

Our next mode of traveling could be considered either a subway moving underground or a car trip heading down the highway. Some plants propagate naturally by layering. This is when new plants remain at least partially attached to the mother plant while forming new roots and can occur naturally through modified stem structure. Below are samples of modified stem structure:

•  Stolons: A trailing stem that grows horizontally above or below the soil to form new plants at the nodes. Subway. Samples are dogwood, mint and bugleweed;

•  Runners: Type of stolon without leaves that rises at the leaf crown and grows horizontally above ground. Road trip. Samples are strawberries on a spider plant.

•  Rhizomes: Horizonal stem different from a stolon as it also is modified as a storage organ. Subway. Samples are ferns, iris and Soloman’s seal.

•  Crowns: Growing point of a plant at the soil surface where new shoots are formed. Road trip. Samples are herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses.

•  Offsets: Short horizonal shoot at the base of main stem that forms an independent crown. Road trip. Samples are many types of bulbs, daylily and hosta.

•  Suckers: Shoots that form underground and then rise to surface as new plants. Subway. Samples are raspberry and pawpaw.

These are all vegetative part of plants that help plants reproduce. Beyond natural occurrences, many gardeners simply want more plants.

So in addition to these methods there are many other ways you can use to increase the plants in your landscape allowing you to not only save money while making your gardens fuller, but allows you to share and exchange plants with your garden friends.

Left on its own, nature can pick itself up and move on down the road. Just be sure it is the plants you want. Know what your plants are and don’t share anything that is invasive.

To learn more, go to http://go.osu.edu/onthemove.

Baytos is an Ohio State University Master Gardener Volunteer for the Mahoningn County Extension.