In 1879, a Michigan professor buried bottles of seeds; 142 years later, scientists opened one and found some could still sprout

A scientific experiment started in 1879 produced a remarkable result more than 140 years later. All of this happened after researchers at the Michigan State University found that some seeds buried in glass bottles could still grow.

William James Beal started the experiment. He wanted to understand how long seeds could remain alive in soil without germinating. His work is known as the Beal Seed Experiment.

In April 2021, researchers dug up one of the bottles buried in the university campus. They found that some of the seeds inside could still germinate after spending about 142 years underground.


The finding offered scientists more information about seed survival and the ability of some common weeds to remain viable in soil generations.

Why did he bury the seeds?

Beal wanted to find out how long seeds from common plants could remain dormant in soil and still grow when conditions became favourable. The question was important for farmers because weed seed can survive in fields and sprout long after they have been buried.

In the autumn 1879, he prepared 20 glass bottles containing seeds mixed with sand. Each bottle held seeds from 23 different plant species, with 50 seeds from each species.

He used sand taken from below the soil surface and left the bottles uncorked. They were placed in a sandy area on what is now Michigan State University's campus. Beal planned to dig them up at different times and test whether the seeds could still grow.

What did scientists do?

Beal initially planned to examine the bottles every five years. During the first 40 years, researchers dug up eight bottles as part of the experiment.

The schedule later changed to allow the remaining seeds to stay underground for longer periods. In 1920, the interval between tests was extended to 10 years. In 1980, it was increased to 20 years.

Scientists from different generations have continued the work since Beal began it. This has allowed researchers to study seed survival over a period far longer than a typical scientific project.

What did scientists find when they opened a bottle in 2021?

In April 2021, researchers excavated the 16th bottle from the experiment. The seeds inside had been buried for approximately 142 years.

The researchers attempted to germinate the seeds under controlled conditions. Twenty seeds from the Verbascum genus grew during the testing period, which lasted 244 days.

The researchers later used genetic testing to confirm the plants' identities, including the hybrid.