Seed pods are forming and the parent is dying. This phase puts the embryo of the new plant into a dormant state. When does life start for the new plant? Does it start when the seed germinates? No, the new plant life has already started when the flower was pollinated. Fast plants have to be cross pollinated, and therefore require pollination to start a new plant. Seed formation puts the embryo into a dormant state, a sleep state. Germination wakes up the embryo under the right conditions like warmth and water. So, the new plant has already started, but is being put into a temporary sleep state called seed protected by a pod until the right conditions takes place for growth.