At first glance, they don’t look like much. But add a powerful new microscope—and an ambitious botanical vision—and seeds may transform how scientists study ecosystems, restore landscapes and even combat plant poaching.

Matthew Wang, conservation program manager at the Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, is using high-resolution imaging technology to capture seeds in unprecedented detail. What began as a simple idea—document cool seeds—has quickly grown into something much bigger. He’s building an image library that could eventually scale into a national database, connecting botanical gardens and researchers across the country.

“When we first got the microscope, I just wanted to take pictures of seeds,” said Wang. “I never thought there would be so many applications. I’m sure people will come up with uses we haven’t even thought of.”

State-of-the-art imaging…and double-sided tape

Red Butte’s Leica Ivesta 3, 3-D imaging microscope uses a technique called “Z-stacking,” which takes 40 to 50 images at various depths, then combines them into a single, hyper-sharp composite.

“It’s like an MRI for seeds,” Wang said. “Before this, we just accepted that parts of the image would be out of focus. That’s the reality until you get this kind of technology.”

Wang is one of the few scientists using the microscope for botanical research—and the work hasn’t always gone smoothly. At first, he struggled to keep the miniscule seeds in place beneath the lens. He found a low-tech solution: anchor the seeds to a notecard equipped with doubled-sided tape.

“I was losing seeds left and right! They were flying out of the tweezers, and I’m crawling around on the floor because these are endangered plants and I don’t want to lose them,” he said. “That was the big breakthrough—double-sided tape and a notecard.”

The clarity of the image reveals hidden traits that set species apart. Subtle color variations and nearly invisible structural features expose a seed’s secrets, like who they’re related to, what disperses them, how they germinate and more

To catch a poacher

A comprehensive seed database could help identify invasive species, track how plants spread and even help authorities with seeds confiscated at airports or borders. It may also protect rare plants from illegal collection.

“People go to surprising lengths to poach rare plants,” Wang said. “Even if TSA confiscates seeds, they don’t know which ones are illegal. Having a reference would make things much, much easier and help with the poaching situation.”

Sclerocactus is an endangered genus of small, barrel cacti found in washes and arroyos of the American Southwest. Some rogue horticulturalists covet the plant, stealing seeds from protected populations to sell on a thriving black market. Using the microscope, Wang discovered a distinguishing feature of the hilum, the place where seeds attach to the ovary of the plant. Each species has a distinct color. A detailed record of rare plant-seed characteristics could help identify would-be poachers.

Cracking seeds wide open

Beyond poaching, the microscope is an invaluable tool to Red Butte Garden’s conservation efforts. Wang is working with the Department of the Interior and Center for Plant Conservation to collect seeds for germination trials and long-term seed banking. Some rare plants have been very difficult to grow in nurseries, a critical step for restoring endangered species.

A closer look at seed structure may help researchers unlock the secrets of germination. Sclerocactus seeds are encased in exceptionally thick, hardened coats that may need a physical jolt—abrasion, puncture or other force—to break their dormancy. Of the species Wang has imaged so far, all but one Sclerocactus species have a fleshy appendage called an elaiosome. These nutrient-rich structures get eaten by ants and other insects, which could play an important role in the rare plants’ reproduction.

“Red Butte Garden strongly believes in conservation of rare species, and tools like this have really taken our research and conservation efforts to a new level,” Wang said. “We hope to continue to grow our program and really make an impact in Utah.”