The seed is the innate potential.
The tree is what the environment allows in the seed.
This seed-tree analogy could be applied to multiple truths/contexts.
For instance:
Your DNA/Biology is like your seed,
While your social ego/self/identity/conditioning would be like the tree.
The seed’s responsibility is to give out all of its potential.
The tree’s responsibility is to stay a match/align to its environment.
Journey to the Abstract 