self-seed

Self-seed describes plants that reproduce without human intervention by dropping seeds that germinate on their own.

Gardeners value self-seeding plants like cosmos, poppies, and foxglove because they return year after year with minimal effort.

The term works as both verb and adjective: Lettuce will self-seed if you let a few plants bolt or self-seeding annuals spread throughout the garden.

Plants that self-seed aggressively can become weedy.