Plants are able to redirect their developmental programs when exposed to strong physical stress, however the in-planta processes leading to somatic embryogenesis remain poorly understood. In this issue, Baykal demonstrates that complete peduncle removal in Muscari armeniacum triggers a remarkable developmental shift in which floral tissues abandon their original identity and initiate de novo embryogenesis. This endogenous reprogramming yields viable aerial bulbils without the addition of any external nutrients or growth regulators, and is accompanied by characteristic changes in auxin and cytokinin levels. The results highlight this species' remarkable ability to turn severe structural stress into a self-sustaining form of asexual reproduction.