Plant growth and trees/seeds

[jamezbl0nde]

Hello, I'm semi-new to dnd 5e and I am playing a druid in a long running campaign. My current question is how exactly would plant growth function On a tree seed.
Plant growth reads as follows:
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"This spell channels vitality into Plants within a specific area. There are two possible uses for the spell, granting either immediate or long-term benefits.

If you cast this spell using 1 action, choose a point within range. All normal Plants in a 100-foot radius centered on that point become thick and overgrown. A creature moving through the area must spend 4 feet of Movement for every 1 foot it moves.

You can exclude one or more areas of any size within the spell's area from being affected.

If you cast this spell over 8 hours, you enrich the land. All Plants in a half-mile radius centered on a point within range become enriched for 1 year. The Plants yield twice the normal amount of food when harvested."
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It says "all normal plants in the area become thick and over grown"
so 1st of all would I be able to plant a seed cast plant growth and get a tree?
2nd would it have to be planted to grow? Could put some plant seeds on the ground and grow plants?
And 3rd would the plants require sustenance? It is a magical ability so it's not like I have to water them or anything but would there have to be dirt? If I had a plant in a small pot or even just sitting uprooted on the ground would it still become thick and over grown? (I realize it would die eventually, but im thinking for temporary effect)

[dejarnjc]

so 1st of all would I be able to plant a seed cast plant growth and get a tree?
2nd would it have to be planted to grow? Could put some plant seeds on the ground and grow plants?
And 3rd would the plants require sustenance? It is a magical ability so it's not like I have to water them or anything but would there have to be dirt? If I had a plant in a small pot or even just sitting uprooted on the ground would it still become thick and over grown? (I realize it would die eventually, but im thinking for temporary effect)

The answer, like so many other druid spells, is talk to your DM.

[jamezbl0nde]

The answer, like so many other druid spells, is talk to your DM.

My dm doesn't like it but said he'd think about it, because it has the potential to be super strong at later levels (such as by throwing a handfull of seeds around then casting plant growth, then using tree stride in combat or being able to use transport via plants inside a building) but I'm just wondering, RAW, or in general would it work? Trying to find a good argument for why it should/would work

[Tetrasodium]

The answer, like so many other druid spells, is talk to your DM.

This. The fact that there is so much related to druids that boils down to find out what your gm says (https://twitter.com/DnD_AdvLeague/status/851300504558809088) is why I suggest gauging the viability of playing a druid in any given game by asking a question like "can my druid decide they are willing to wear metal armor & actually do it". That particular question is a good barometer for how reasonable your GM will be when you run into any of the many many baked in "ask your gm" druid's core class features & the answer can be a good indication on if you should play a different class or not.

[dejarnjc]

but I'm just wondering, RAW, or in general would it work? Trying to find a good argument for why it should/would work

Sadly RAW doesn't cover this really. Talk to your DM. Tell him that even if your character has seeds on himself the furthest he'll probably be able to fling them is in a 15-20 ft. cone or so depending on the seeds. It's not like you'd be able to fill the battlefield without some prep time manually spreading the seeds.

If he's really against it you could consider having it cost an action to fling the seeds.

The spell can be quite good but your DM's concerns about it potentially being OP are overblown in my opinion.

[jamezbl0nde]

The spell can be quite good but your DM's concerns about it potentially being OP are overblown in my opinion.

I also feel as though it wouldn't be as strong as he's making it out to be. I'm assuming something so light/small wouldn't be thrown very far and it would probably get blown around if there's any wind.

Also i just feel since the spell says "plants become thick and overgrown" would mean that a tree (which is a plant) would become thick and overgrown.

Of course I'll be fine if he wants to nerf it. He's the dm. If I were the dm Id probably require it to be planted under soil to prevent shenanagens like throwing it in the air, or having 8 summoned birds hold them over enemies or something dumb. I just feel that as a druid there should be a way to grow a single tree somewhere I normally wouldn't be able to. And if I can do it in combat that'd be a cool bonus. Even if I did have to use an action to throw a seed or two, then use an action to use plant growth, then use an action to cast tree stride/transport via plants. That's alot of actions

[NecroDancer]

I'd rule that a young small tree would grow, each new casting of plant growth makes the tree bigger.

[MrStabby]

As for throwing seeds and growing them - I would totally allow it. My only condition would be they land on a surface in which they could normally grow (so you can't grow an oak tree up in the air or in the sea or on totally barren rock (although if the pc wanted this totally barren rock would be rare)).

I find the question about metal armour interesting as I would rule against that but be explicitly permissive on the seeds. I guess these things don't fall on a simple scale.