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NATIVE PLANT SEED SOWING & COLLECTING

Seed collecting (also called seed harvesting) is one of the oldest past times. Harvesting and sharing seeds is a great and economical way to native plant garden and share the passion for native plants and native pollinators with others. Find resources for seed collecting below, but we suggest looking at the How to Germinate Seeds resource after finding the germination code designated for your native plant. One of the greatest misconceptions about native seed is that it can be planted any time the weather is warm. Many native plant seeds, like our native milkweed species, need to be prepped before planting, sometimes in the refrigerator for a couple months. Others, like purple coneflower, can be planted anytime. 

Sowing                             

Spring Collecting                             

Summer Collecting

Summer & Fall Collecting          

Fall Collecting    

MORE RESOURCES ON SEED COLLECTION & PLANTING:

• How to Germinate Native Seeds  | Prairie Moon Nursery

• Will the Birds Eat my Seeds? | Prairie Moon Nursery

• Harvesting Native and Indigenous Perennial Seeds  | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

• How To Collect and Sow your Native Seed  | Chicago Living Corridors, YouTube

• Harvesting Native Plant Seeds  | Sag Moraine Native Plant Community, YouTube