Over the years, I added more native perennials to my yard. Last week, I noticed some of my native summer blooming perennials have gone to seed and are ready to harvest. Follow along below as I show you how I collected seeds from one of my favorite native perennials, Blazing Star (Liatris spicata).
First, I gather my gloves, tools, some clean containers to catch the seeds in, and some seed storage envelopes.
Next, I go out to my yard and locate the plant I want to collect seeds from. This is how Blazing star (Liatris spicata) will look when it is ready for seed collection. Be sure the plant and seeds are dry. It is best to collect seeds on a dry day to make sure your seeds don’t get wet. Moisture can cause the seeds to mold.
Then, I collect the seeds. In this case, I can easily reach the seeds and just pinch them off into the clean collection container. Most of the time, I find myself having to use my hand pruners to collect the entire seed head. Then, I separate the seeds from the chaff and the rest of the plant material.
Once you have the seeds separated out from other plant material and made sure they are dry, label a seed collection envelope. Be sure to include the plant’s name/species and the collection date. You may also want to include the plant’s location if you are collecting seeds from different areas. Plus, any other notes that may help you remember the details on germinating/planting the seed.
Then, place the clean, dry seed into your labeled collection envelope and seal the envelope closed.
Once you are done packaging up your seeds, you will put all the seed packs in an air tight container. Keep seeds in your refrigerator or a cool, dry, dark place until you are ready to plant them. To learn more about collecting flower seeds check out the links below.
https://www.wildflower.org/learn/collect-store-seeds
https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/news/whats-in-seed-top-tips-for-seed-saving-and-sowing
https://gnps.org/conservation/propagation-germination-requirements-of-seeds
