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Tag: seeds

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This time of year brings such joy to native gardeners as pollinator activity on native plants really picks up and progression of flowering in the garden marches on from one species to the next.  As early species decline and start to set seed, we have an opportunity to collect ripe seed from our plants to propagate ourselves and/or distribute to the community.  NPI packages and gives out native seeds at our meetings and events all over town. We participated in a Memorial Day weekend Storm Sweep event at the lakefront and gave out lots of seeds there and this weekend we will be giving out over 400 packets of native seeds at the Creole Tomato Fest!  Here are some native plants producing seed right now, what to look for and how to collect. Contact us for guidelines if you are collecting extra seed for NPI distribution.

Dracopis

Clasping Coneflower, Dracopis amplexicaulis - This is one of our earliest and easiest native wildflowers to grow.  Once you grow it, it’s likely that it will always pop up somewhere in your sunny garden from the many seeds it produces. Seed heads should be completely dry and shatter fairly easily when raked with a fingernail. Paper bags are best for dry storage.  Only pack in plastic when COMPLETELY DRY.

 

 

Dracopis seedhead

 

 

 

 

 

Spiderwort, Tradescantia -

Spiderwort flower heads

Spiderworts bloom in a cluster of several flowers at the tips of the stems.  The individual flowers bloom in succession, not all at one time, which means they dry and seed matures in succession too.  For this reason, to collect seed, you must wait until almost all of the flowers in a terminal cluster have finished and turned brown before pulling off that clump to save seed.  Spiderworts are fleshy and the seed pods and leaves surrounding the seeds can hold a lot of moisture.  After you pull the end clusters off, leave them out in a flat pan to dry thoroughly before storing in a paper bags. Only pack in plastic when COMPLETELY DRY or you will have a bag of moldy yuck in no time. After harvesting the seed, cut the plant down for a neater look to the garden.  Spiderwort looks unattractive at this stage.

Spiderwort seeds drying on tray

 

Gaillardia

Gaillardia pulchella, Blanket flower - Wait for it, …. wait for it, ……this is a plant whose flower heads fade and dry but must be completely brown/gray before the seeds are ripe and easily collected.  The seed heads should shatter easily when raked with a fingernail.  If they do not, they are not ready to harvest yet.

 

Seedheads should shatter easily when ready

 

Gaillardia....not ready yet

Coreopsis tinctoria, Tickseed - Another super easy, early native flower.  Wait until seed heads are completely brown and dry before breaking apart. Paper bags are best for dry storage.  Only pack in plastic when COMPLETELY DRY.

Coreopsis tinctoria
Coreopsis tinctoria seeds
Coreopsis tinctoria seedheads

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There comes a time about now in New Orleans when Spring feels almost gone and the beautiful displays of the very first native flowers are going to seed.  Some of them will continue to bloom for some time, but the first flowers have faded, dried and turned brown….ripe for collecting!  On almost every plant out there, it is best to wait until seeds have completely dried on the plant before collecting them (just like nature would do it).  It also makes the job much easier.  If the seedheads are not completely dry, it might help to lay them out on a sheet pan and store them in paper bags to be sure they won't mold once put away.

Of course, you don't have to collect seeds from your plants.  One of the best reasons to grow natives is that the seeds provide valuable nutrition to birds and other animals.  You can absolutely leave the seeds on the plant to disburse themselves naturally, especially if you would like some to volunteer in that same spot next year.  We like to do a bit of both.  With native plants often in short supply, it’s nice to save some seeds to scatter out in another space or plant in containers, or better yet, to share with others.  We have heard it said that you should plant seeds when nature would have planted them.  That may still mean that they don't sprout until nature would have them sprout, and you still may not have new plants until next Spring.  Seed germination varies widely and by circumstance….no better time to start learning!

Just a few native plants that we are collecting dried seed from right now in late May are Winecups, Callirhoe species, Heals All, Prunella vulgaris,  Columbine, and Coreopsis lanceolata because it is one of the earliest Coreopsis and therefore almost finished its cycle.

Callirhoe
Callirhoe seedhead
Callirhoe seeds

Winecups are one of the showiest natives because of their brilliant pink color.  They are also very deep-rooted, long-lived and resilient plants that can tolerate full, blasting roadside-type sun and poor soil.  They bloom over an extended period but as new flowers are still blooming, some seeds are already ready to collect.

 

Prunella, Heals-All or Self-Heal, has a long history and has become one of our favorite low spreading, perennial natives.  The flowers are nearly finished now and the flower bracts are drying in place almost ready to harvest for future sowings.

Prunella
Prunella flower bract after drying

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These dried bracts are very tenacious and hang on for a long time, unlike some other plants, so there’s no rush to collect….they will be there in a few weeks just the same and the drier ALL of the seedheads are,  the better for collecting and storing.

Columbine is a delightful and showy early Spring native for us.  Hinckley’s Columbine has large yellow blooms while Columbine canadensis has red and yellow smaller blooms.

Hinckley's columbine
Columbine canadensis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Either species has just about finished and many of their seedheads will be dry and ready to tip over and dump out shiny black seeds.

Columbine seedpod
Columbine seeds are shiny and black and pour right out of the dry pod

Lastly, if you were lucky enough to have been to one of our Native Plant Giveaways this Spring, you may have walked away with one of our earliest native Coreopsis species, C. lanceolata.

Lance-leafed Coreopsis has large, toothed, bright yellow flowers and makes a great show.  It’s dry seedheads pour out dozens of dark brown seeds when you turn them upside down. This is how they readily re-seed more plants into your garden and they will easily grow wherever you scatter them.

 

Coreopsis lanceolata
Coreopsis seedhead

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeds from Coreopsis spill out of the dried seedhead

There are so many more blooming plants to come in the next few months and surely many that might be ready now that we did not cover…..what are you collecting seeds from right now in your native garden?