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Wildseed Collection
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Posted by biosparite z9TX (My Page) on Thu, Oct 29, 09 at 20:52
| I am gathering fall wildflower seeds here in Houston for next year's pollinator garden. A prime source of nectar plants is the railroad right-of-way through Memorial Park north of Memorial Drive and Woodway. I was out there with some members of the Houston chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas last Sunday for seeds of two species of Liatris; a native grass whose seeds are especially attractive to birds; a mint with miniscule flowers that nevertheless was attended by the fattest bumblebees around; annual sunflower; Bidens; and soft golden aster, among others. Do other readers and posters spend much time seeking out (mostly) native plants to stock their gardens with seeds? Where do you go, and what do you collect? Just curious. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Wildseed Collection
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| Sometimes I find native/wild plants growing within the city limits and I collect seeds from these. I recently found some Verbesina encelioides (Golden Crownbeard), Plantago major (Buckeyes, and red clover, which I have planted in the garden. I've found several different genus/species of sunflower-types yet to be ID'd. Urben areas often provide unlikely sources for wildflowers in vacant lots and medians where birds have probably dispersed seeds of many natives. In OKC, there are a few spots where vacant lots have actually been udtilized to plant wildflower gardens anbd there are a couple near me. I would not take any seeds from these, though, without first checking with the gardeners first. I am sure they wouldn't hesitate to share seeds, though, because most gardeners are very generous. Native gardening is increasing in popularity in the inner city so that folks like me, who don't or are unable to travel into the rural areas, are able to collect seeds easily. I have visited your website and admire your conservation efforts greatly. Susan |
RE: Wildseed Collection
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I do sometimes. This thread reminds me that I need to check some local Ludwigia octavalis I found growing not too far from here. It grows everywhere on the coast, but this is the first clump I've found here, and since it's a host plant for some sphinx moths, I'd like to get some seeds.
I've found in the past that just because a plant grows in your general area doesn't mean it'll be successful on your property - some plants are very site specific. There is a type of lupine that grows on very dry sites here, Lupinus villosa/lady lupine/hairy lupine. The leaves are very different from other bluebonnets - they're long, elliptical and entire, but the flowers are similar, and they make the typical pea pods. I've gathered the seeds in the past, but they've never come up for me. I'll have to keep trying!
Sherry |
RE: Wildseed Collection
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| I believe that Ludwigia octovalis is a host plant for the beautiful Banded Sphinx, MissSherry. I tried to find it but had to settle for L. alternafolia in hopes iut might attract them. But the seeds did not come up, sigh..... I hope you get a chance to raise them! Susan |
RE: Wildseed Collection
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| Early this summer I collected some Antelope Horn milkweed seeds from a new housing area that backs up to our neighborhood. I also collected native verbena, tickseed, Indian Paintbrush & Indian Blanket seeds. I had collected paintbrush the year before but didn't get much germination. I have lots of Golden Crownbeard on the back of my property & have a ton of seeds if anyone wants any. They are still blooming like crazy & smell so sweet! This fall, I found some Maximillian sunflowers growing on a vacant lot as well as a native Liatris...I collected seeds from both & have scattered them on the back of my property also. My goal is to have something blooming from spring to fall. I bought a pound of Blue Bonnet seeds to plant last fall & never got them scattered until January...BIG MISTAKE!!! I only had about 3 plants bloom last spring...hopefully, I will have some bloom this year. I almost forgot that I had also gathered Lemon Beebalm in late spring as well. |
RE: Wildseed Collection
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| I visit the local cemetery to gather seeds and milkweed pods. |
RE: Wildseed Collection
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| imabirdnut, you may have had poor germination on your Indian paintbrush because the plant is a partial parasite on grass roots; hence a cleared garden space may not produce many paintbrush. |
RE: Wildseed Collection
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biosparite, I actuctually scattered them in my "wildflower area that has both bermuda growing in it as well as other wild grasses. I will scatter more seeds next weekend that I collected as well as the Maximillian sunflower seeds. I also collected a native Liatris that I will also scatter in the same area.
Last year I had poppies, larkspur, Indian blanket, Standing Cypress, native verbena, pink buttercups, lemon beebalm, coreopsis...this year I hope to have some Antelope Horns, Queen Anne's Lace, more Blue Bonnets, & more Indian Paintbrush. Currently blooming is the Golden Crownbeard...does anyone want seeds? I can collect more if you do??? It is a host for the Bordered Patch BF & is the favorite nectar plant for Monarchs, Queens, Painted Ladies, Bordered Patches, tons of skippers, Buckeyes, Gulf Frits, etc. right now in our area. It is a very prolific reseeding annual that was native on our property. |
RE: Wildseed Collection
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| Interesting question, biospartite. I've gone the lazy route and let things come to me. We stopped mowing sections of our lawn that were on the outskirts of our yard, and we don't go to extreme measures to promote lawn, so it was easily taken over by natives from our area. We live in a very rural area and are surrounded by meadows in some areas and woods in others. I've always thought it would be a good business if someone were to create local collections of native flora. I would love to be able to buy a selection of plants that had evolved from my particular geographic region. I've begun to incorporate native plants into my regular gardens and into the butterfly garden at my local library so that people can see that native species can be included in a "cultivated" garden. It's rewarding to be able to identify the local flora so that what surrounds one is not an undifferentiated mass of green, or even worse, "weeds." It really is a process of discovering constantly renewing treasure. |
RE: Wildseed Collection
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bernergrrl,
You deserve commendation for preserving your wet area. Have you seen butterflies puddling in the damp soil? Re planting natives, I would think you must have some good seed or plant sources in your state. If you were a resident of Texas, I would know exactly whom to recommend for native seeds, but you are way north of the Red River and East of the Sabine, so I can't do much to make a recommendation beyond saying you should look for similar wetlands in your area to see what grows there. Butterflies might guide you to some good plant choices when they nectar on whatever grows in NH wetland areas. Ditto re watching out for specialist wild bees to see what they nectar on. You must be past your growing season by now, but of course the Houston weather remains favorable for starting wildseed to bloom next spring, i.e., March and April down here. |
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