Why do some plants bear fruit? What does the plant get out of it?

Question

I probably learned about this in middle school but don’t remember.
Why does an apple tree grow apples?
Is it a means of reproduction for the tree because of the seeds in the apple? If that’s the case then why is there flavourful fruit surrounding the seeds? Is that used as a nutrient resource for the seed to grow? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to just grow seed-pods that are dispersed by wind?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Plants bear fruit in the hopes that animals eat the fruit and the seeds inside them. The seeds pass through the digestive tract of the animal unscathed and are left in the feces of the animal, which provides the seed with a bit of a jump start nutritionally.