Here is a good link on growing seed. It is probably Rhododendron mucronulatum which is sometimes called the Manchurian azalea. Some good links on growing rhododendron seed are: How to Grow Rhododendrons from Seed Raising Rhododendrons and Azaleas from Seed Many commercial nurseries are germinating rhododendron seed on live sphagnum moss. It is the best medium they have used and the easiest to use. This was covered in an article in 1974. AN EASY WAY OF GROWING RHODODENDRONS FROM SEED

I have broadcast seeds from dying plants that I cut off at soil level and now have a beautiful large patch of forget me nots coming up in my semi-shade garden. I think they are very easy to do this way. If you want to actually collect them I think all you would need is a pie dish or something flat with sides and just shake the seeds out onto it. I don't know how they keep. I seeded as soon as the seeds would shake out. Maybe someone else will know how well they keep. Bonny

Nevermind on this question. I had not looked closely enough and was noticing pods which had fallen before turning brown (presumably from strong winds). Anyhow, I now see pods turning brown on the plant (which have seeds attached). I suppose it's best to let these get as brown/dried as possible before picking (even if risking them falling)?? I accidently also double posted this to the seed propagation section - thinking that post had not posted correctly etc. Sorry.

Penny, I used to live in WNY. Gotta say, I do NOT miss the winters. Or those summers where it rains every weekend for, like, 10 weeks in a row and then it's autumn. But I had some good times and met some great people there. Wonderful area if you're a birder, which I am. Azalea seed is fairly fine, but it's not as tiny as dust, or, say, begonia seed. It usually resembles little oblong flattened wafers that are maybe 1/20 inch long or so (a guess -- I'm not anal enough to try to measure the things). The woody pods typically are comprised of four longitudinal chambers arranged around a sort of corky central pith. The best way to get the seed out is spelled out in my first post. It's tedious but effective. You may find no seed in some chambers, as there are little weevils that bore into the pods and eat the seed as it ripens. They do leave behind a very fine dust. April, are you out there? It's primetime for gettin' that Scott's Gulf seed.... Marty