I'm ready for seeds if yours are ripe and dry! I just sent a blast dmail out to everyone who has already signed up for this. We still have two empty spots -- so if you know any native plant lovers, please let them know what we're up to and invite them to join us!
Native Plant Seed Swap
I'm still packaging. Gone from a big envie to a small box and I'm still not done.Everything might not amke it into the box...I'm getting tired of packaging...or maybe getting too lazy is more like it..LOL
I spy some milkweed,spirea,clematis and puttyroot I'd love to try.
Peggy
LOL! I know how you feel! I think labeling those little packets is most tedious!! I better get cracking. I printed some of the labels, just need to finish cleaning and stuffing zippies...
No big box coming from me, I'm afraid, but I'm still looking to see what else might be "out there."
Looks like I've got plenty of Penstemon smallii seeds to go around. It flowered much earlier in the year, but I've collected seeds at this time before with no problem with germination.
I've got lots of berries on my purple beautyberry this year. It's another one I didn't realize was a native. ? I can include some (in a paper packet) if anybody is interested, although I don't know anything about starting them from berries/seeds. Same goes for my American holly, which should have ripe berries soon. There are also a couple of berries on my coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) that the birds haven't eaten, but I have no idea how to process those... it might be easier to get cuttings from me in spring.
I think somebody said that seeds from cultivars (not just the straight species) would be OK, so I can include some burgundy Gaillardia.
What about seeds from last year? My swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), a white/cream one grown from seeds collected from 'Ice Ballet', didn't come up this spring, but I have seeds collected last summer. I'll be sowing them too so I can add it back to my garden, but I've got extra. (Edited to add that I'd be happy to include these as bonus seeds if there's interest, no need to send me seeds back for them.)
This message was edited Oct 16, 2008 11:08 AM
I'm getting close, just a couple more things to clean and pack and they'll be ready to go.
critter:
beautyberry grows very easy from seed. I have to pull tons of seedlings from under them and hearts-a-bursting planted in my yard every year or they'll take over the bed
I always send seeds that have pulp w/ the pulp in tact so they stay viable longer then suggest that the receipient remove pulp before sewing. Seeds w/ pulp will germinate but not with as high a percentage as ones without. Better hussle on any seeds that have pulp to beat the birds to them. I've already lost all my viburnum seeds and roughleaf dogwood to birds.They'll be on the cornus florida seeds next. They have to be really hungry to eat my fragrant sumac seeds but will in a pinch.
I haven't had a problem w/ birds eating beautyberry nor the hearts-a-bursting seeds even in late winter when others are gone.
Peggy
I would love beauty berry seeds critter and Hearts a bursting (if you are sending those Peggy). I just moved and had to leave both of those behind. I will. If you are not sending the euonymus, maybe we can do a swap-- I have the orchid seeds for you, no one else mentioned wanting them.
Thanks for the advice on the beautyberry! I haven't noticed spring seedlings, but it's possible the birds simply got the berries. I'll be glad to include a couple of packets (more if asked, but I figure not everybody will want/need this one... LMK, chatnoir). I'd like to try some white beautyberry if you think it'll come true/white from seeds. :-)
HB-Gran,
We can do it either way...I have two in the yard and more in the nursery so I'm sure there won't be any trouble finding seeds. Anyone else?
I'm including a couple pkg.of the white fruited beautyberries in the box I'm sending to chat.
I'm finishing up my packing this week and will mail out the mexican hat (ratibida columnaris (Asteraceae). The dear in our neighborhood eat almost everything listed as deer resistant (lantana, yarrow, asparagus fern, agave, cacti with minor spikes, etc...), but they don't eat mexican hats flowers or plants. Woohoo!
Bigred, I would LOVE beautyberry seeds. I went on a zipline adventure (they have a line running between two trees and you hang on and slide from tree to tree - with safety harnesses and helmets and handholding...., I'm a big sissy..) anyways,, as I was zipping through the trees, I spied some of the beautyberry plants and had to ask the instructor what they were when I "landed". I didn't see any white while on the zipline, but I am sure they are beautiful! The instructor said I asked more plant questions than anyone had before. Luckily, he was a plant lover and didn't mind.
Okay, here's what I have: turtlehead, vervain, flat-topped white aster, virgin's bower, spirea latifolia, spirea tomentosa, and a bonus batch of closed gentian. I'll try to get most of them packaged today, and in the mail later in the week.
Did someone mention cardinal flower (Lobelia)? I really need some of that! Mine died after nearly 20 years and 4 moves, go figure.
I've got lobelia cardinalis. I think someone else mention they had the blue also.
I think I'm about ready to put mine in the mail. I'm trying to talk myself into packaging some more but shelf is loosing the battle. I've writen so many names on so many packages my handwriting has gotten ugly. Looks like I've been up all night on drugs...LOL
Not everyting I listed in previous post has made the cut.
my seeds went out in yesterdays mail
Hi, swappers! Can I get in on it? I've been keeping an eye on this thread, but didn't think I had anything to contribute. However, while collecting some seed yesterday I realized I have plenty of seed for a couple of lovely natives that I keep around. Verbascum thapsus (Mullein, the species used medicinally):
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/32704/
..and Ironweed. Love that royal purple, and the butterflies appreciate them too. I'm having trouble narrowing down which species it is that grows here, though. These get as tall as 9', but I've found they can be pinched during the season to keep them at a manageable 4-5' or so. Looks like it could either be Arkansas Ironweed, Vernonia arkansana:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/217865/
...or New York Ironweed, Vernonia noveboracensis:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/1122/
...Could just call it Kentucky Ironweed, LOL
I can easily get 10 packs of each of those. Would that be enough?
Thanks,
Neal
Neal that would be great! This is a totally low key, no pressure thing. So send what you have. It's all about the sharing!
I've added your name to the list. Thanks for joining us!!
Awesome! Thanks, chat. I was just out gathering seeds and found something I'd forgotten, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosum), but sadly its looking like the finches have beat me to most of the seeds. When I saw how scarce they are, I went ahead and gathered every head from the clump. I'll keep pilfering through them and hopefully come up with enough.
I am hoping the fringed gentian seed will be ready to gather this weekend.If so,they should be dry and ready to be sent by the end of next week along with the others which I have already harvested.Spreading some of my native seeds around the country is as apealling to me as getting new ones for my own gardens.Thanks to all participants!
I've run into something with the Ironweed seeds that I could use some input on; the seeds have fluff attached like a dandelion, but smaller. The only way I'm coming up with to remove it is pulling it off one at a time, but thats a real pain, considering the seeds are pretty small (about the size of a Rudbeckia seed). The fluff flattens out when in a packet and doesn't make it too bulky. Is it ok to leave it attached? I can include more seed in each pack that way if no one minds.
OK, never mind, ...I figured it out! Now I'm pulling a wad of seeds out of the head by the fluff, and using scissors to cut the whole clump of seeds off :-)
OK -- but fluff with seeds seems fine to me. :-)
doesn't bother me either--sometimes it doesn't come off until the seed is "planted"
Chatnoir,
did my seeds arrive?
I have to tell you, I'm leaving the fluff on my seeds. Just don't have the time.
Fluff doesn't bother me either, just wanted to make sure its not a seed swapping faux pas, LOL.
I think fluff on the seeds are great.
Neal, the purple flowers are beautiful (I already forgot the name, sorry). So excited you're sending in seeds too!
Erin, Ironweed is the purple one. I think they will do well in your climate. I think they're one of our most striking summer wildflowers in this area,... and I've identified it! It is Vernonia gigantea, Tall Ironweed:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57426/
Once I figured out the little scissors trick, it was a snap. I didn't get it all off of some, so they have little spiked hair dos, LOL. Got the seeds in the mail this morning :-)
I'm pretty sure my ironweed is New York - so we'll have two great plants to plant. I will love having the tall. Mine will come with fluff.
Cool, Kathleen! I'm looking forward to trying another species!
I would have loved to do this. I didn't collect any seed though. Maybe next year! :-)
Hi all!
bigred, your seeds arrived Friday! Nice assortment! I think everyone is going to be really pleased in this swap.
I'm not on here much over the weekends, so sorry for not posting right away. But I'm here! I've edited the swap list to add the seeds that have come in.
I'm working on cleaning and packing all of mine this weekend...
Good...I always worry about seeds arriving.
Peggy
Seeds arrived in last night's mail from Gemini_sage. Thanks!
Is anyone desperate for the spireas? I have everything else ready and in the box, but the spireas seem to be driving me nuts. I can't really find anything that looks enough like "seed" to be confident that I'm not just sending you junk. I could put a couple of seed heads in large bags for anyone that definitely wants it. I'd like to mail this by Friday at the latest, so let me know.
I have s.tomentosa...seeds are dust-fine
I gave up on the spirea altogether - just don't have the time.
My seeds were mailed on Thursday, so should be getting pretty close to home.
I just went out to the swamp for the fringed gentian seeds.The good news is I found a few.The bad news is I found a FEW.There are enough to send out but not very many in each pack.The rest are dried and packed but I'll need a few days to dry these out.They should be ready to ship by the end of the week.
BTW The lobelia seeds are VERY small so don't think you got an empty envy when you open them up.
I just found this thread and I am sorry but I do not have any native seeds to trade but if it is possible could I please have a few of the fringed gentian seeds for postage.
Thanks
Just updated the thread above to show the latest two seed packages that arrived!
Thanks ErinSaTx and Kathleen! Your seeds arrived safe and sound.
Already we have lots of good stuff! I'm getting excited! Plus I found a few more different things to throw in too!
Dvhsr62,
I looked up the fringe gentian flower, and it is beautiful!!! I think all of us would be more than happy with whatever you have to share. I hope it's ok to make a general statement....right, Chatnoir?
This picture is from chicagowildreness.org
I admit, I didn't read anything about it....just saw it and thought "ohhhh....pretty!" and thought I'd share.
Hope everyone had a warm and tasty Thanksgiving!
It's almost Nov. 30th! I'm still waiting for a few more people to mail their seeds. But I'll send a dmail to remind everyone. Stay tuned - I'll let everyone know what's happening as it happens.
~Chatnoir