What is dormancy?

Dormancy is when something rests and waits for the right time to wake up and start working again.

Imagine you have a favorite toy that you only play with on weekends. On weekdays, you put it in a box and leave it alone. That’s like dormancy, your toy is resting because it doesn’t need to be used every day. When the weekend comes, you take it out of the box and start playing again.

Some plants do something similar! A seed might stay sleepy in the ground during winter. It’s like the seed is taking a long nap. But when spring comes, warmer weather, more sunlight, the seed wakes up and starts growing into a plant.

Even animals can go dormant! Some little animals, like bears, rest in their cozy dens during winter. They don’t need to eat or move much because it’s too cold outside. When spring comes, they wake up and start exploring again.

Dormancy is just a way for things, plants, animals, even toys, to save energy until the best time to be active!