Which part of a plant usually grows first from a seed?

The root usually grows first from a seed, pushing downward into the soil even before any green parts appear above ground. Growing the root first lets the tiny new plant start soaking up water and gripping the earth firmly, which keeps it anchored and fed as it prepares to send a stem and leaves upward toward the light.

A flower and fruit only appear much later, once a plant has grown big and strong enough to reproduce, so neither one could possibly be the very first part to sprout from a fresh seed.

Some seeds can sit quietly in dry soil for a very long time, waiting for just the right amount of rain and warmth before their root finally breaks through.