skip to main content

How do you identify plants that you collect seeds from?

14 years ago

OK,

I confess... I have "harvested" ripe seed heads from the funeral home flower bed - Maybe I shouldn't have, but I know that they are going to rip them all out shortly and I couldn't resist at least trying to propagate more of the few beautiful plants that were still blooming! Should I feel guilty (??) instead of thrilled at my find! LOL

I have searched the Missouri Botanical Garden plant finder, I have googled, I have RACKED my BRAIN trying to figure out how to identify what I THOUGHT was a variety of coneflower (and may still be a coneflower, but one not common, apparently). How do YOU try to figure out what you have found? Or, do you just not worry about it, as long as you love the plant?

By the way, this "coneflower" is bright pink and the main flower stem has sort of a double head, with tiny little brighter pink petals where the usual prickly center would be. The secondary flowers lower on the stalk (at least the ones that were still blooming) looked like normal coneflowers, although the center seed head is not prickly and hard like a coneflower. Any ideas?

If you have any websites that are good or an approach that doesn't require you to know the name of what you are looking for would be appreciated.

Thanks,

BettyLu in St. Louis

Comments (7)

trudi_d
14 years ago
You can start by looking at images of echinacea at Google.

If that doesn't help then look at images of "pink coneflower".

One of these image files should bring up what you're looking for if the flower is indeed an echinacea.

Here is a link that might be useful: Google Images ~ Echinacea
caroline_2008
14 years ago
I have pink coneflower seeds.
What you describe is a pink coneflower.

My daughter grew some . They are
a beautiful flower.

Carp;ome
Related Discussions
Datura - Lilac -where do you collect the seeds from??
Q
Comments (6)
The prickly balls dry up and burst open and inside them are the seeds. Carefully with out getting poked put your fingers in and drop seeds into a bowl under. (this is what I do) Unless you plan on trading do not bother collecting as where the plant was this year, you should have many tiny plants next year. Also be careful to wash hands thoroughly as all parts of Datura are poisonous
...See More
Where and how do you collect Love Lies Bleeding Seeds?
Q
Comments (6)
I just rub the robes from top to bottom over a bowl or cut a bunch off and shake really good within a large paper bag than dump the seed/chaff into a bowl. Either way after you do that you can try taking your deep sided bowl outdoors on a slightly breezy day and winnow the chaff by blowing over the bowl hard enough to get the chaff to float out. The seeds will swirl around in the bowl :D The seed are not disk shaped but are tiny light pink (almost clear)beads. They do self-sow too, but nearly as much as 'Intense Purple'. Use the seed in breads, cereal, grind into flour,ect. Here is a link that might be useful: Mother Earth News~Amazing Amaranth
...See More
Identify succulent, how to collect seeds?
Q
Comments (12)
musey: well, there MAY be a seed pod, depending on whether the flowers get pollinated. i THINK they are pollinated by ants. i'm pretty sure they aren't pollinated by hummingbirds (like aloe and gasteria flowers normally are). and seed pods on haworthias are generally very small (regardless of species and/or size of plant (in my experience)). all the ones i've ever gotten are about 1-1.5 centimeters long. and regarding separating the plants; yeah, i would wait until after you collect the seeds if you are interested in germinating them (i've always been too impatient to grow from seed). just keep in mind that it'll take a while for the seed pods to mature and dry up before you can collect the seeds. this may take a couple months. on the other hand, if it doesn't get pollinated, the flowers will just dry and fall off, leaving just the stalk. at which point, it would be safe separate the plants. good luck! Bri.
...See More
Do any of you collect seeds from your favorite plants?
Q
Comments (3)
I really enjoy collecting seeds, even if I sometimes don't know what to do with them! I think I am a little bit like King Midas and they are my "gold." But I sometimes have trouble figuring out how to do it. for one thing, I never know when to harvest the seeds. sometimes I'm too early, and the seeds aren't ripe. Sometimes I'm too late, and they are all gone. Last year, I was hardly able to get any seeds from my Yvonne's salvia. They seemed to drop the instant they were ripe. I would either find bracts with white seeds, or empty ones. Right now, I am looking at Joe Pye weed and Liatris spicata that have finished blooming. The flowers are either completely or partially brown. I brought in a few and as soon as they dried their little "umbrellas" opened and the seeds turned black. Am I safe in assuming that these guys are good to go? can I bring in more flower heads? earlier in the season I had a devil of a time trying to gather seeds from Geranium maculatum. I wasn't even sure which part of their complicated structure was the seed! they are on a spring mechanism and they go "sproing" and it is easy as pie to miss them before they drop. With considerable effort I managed to get about a half dozen seeds. I hope I can germinate them! Liz
...See More
flower_addict88
14 years ago
Was it the Double Delight Coneflower?
http://www.northcreeknurseries.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/443/index.htm

Or maybe the Double Decker Coneflower?
http://www.wolfcreekgardens.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=130

Danielle
token28001
14 years ago
I was going to suggest double decker too.

The best thing to do is take a camera with you, snap a photo and post it here. Name that Plant.
bettylu_zone6a
Original Author
14 years ago
trudi d, I think you found it for me!

When I googled, I searched for pink coneflower and didn't use the correct name of Echinacea and your link was perfect!

I THOUGHT it was a coneflower, and was surprised that the botanical garden didn't have it. But that was before I saw how many varieties there were! I think it is pink double delight, the one labeled razmatazz has too short petals. The only thing that was kind of strange was that this plant I saw had normal looking coneflowers on the lower stalk - at any rate, identifying it as far as actually being a coneflower gives me more of an idea of what to expect growing conditions-wise.

I hope it turns out to be winter hardy!

As far as taking a picture, I don't have a digital camera - only my cell phone and I have no idea how to transfer the image to a place I can access it!

Thanks all!

BettyLu
flower_addict88
14 years ago
I'm not sure with your particular variety that you sowed seeds from but a lot of the hybrid plants dont produce seeds true to parent. It still might be fun to see what produces from the seeds! Maybe the lower flowers werent mature enough to have the double on them.

I think that the Double Decker variety takes two years for the double petals to even show.

Danielle
mcbdz
14 years ago
Anotheer suggestion would be to find out who does the flower beds for them and see if when they pull them you can grab some. if they are going to be trashed anyway you may get luck and score the plants. Over winter a couple inside just incase they aren't hardy and you'll have lots for next year.
Pattie

P.S. All they can say is no.

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

CONTAINER GARDENS 8 Easy Container Plants to Grow From Seed

Get beautiful blooms and herbs in summer by starting these choice garden picks from seed in spring

GARDENING GUIDES How to Plant a New Lawn From Seed

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Choose from more grass varieties and save money over sod by starting your lawn from seed

GARDENING FOR BIRDS Backyard Birds: How to Identify Two Common Woodpeckers

By Habitat Network

Downy and hairy woodpeckers have similar coloration and behavior. But there are two big differences that separate them

WINTER GARDENING Great Design Plant: Gold Collection Hellebores Perform Like Stars

Exciting colors, longer bloom times, forward-facing flowers ... These hybrids leave old hellebores in the dust

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Artistic Planting Ideas From a Brazilian Superstar

His abstract designs and native plantings changed the face of landscape architecture. Could Roberto Burle Marx’s style enhance your garden?

GARDENING GUIDES Beautiful Flowers and Foliage From Dedicated Backyard Gardeners

By Stacy Briscoe

From lawn daisies to topiaries, Houzz users share their backyard beauties

INSPIRING GARDENS What We Can Learn From Longwood Gardens’ New Meadow

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Sustainability, ecology, native plant communities ... this public garden is brimming with lessons on horticulture for home gardeners

PLANTING IDEAS 8 Design Tricks From Sunny Botanical Gardens

By Steve Asbell

Take a yard from stale to stupendous with ideas from these expertly designed gardens in the U.S. Sunbelt

FLOWERS Lessons from Monet's Garden

See how to bring the impressionist painter's vision to life in your own landscape with these flower choices and garden design ideas

FEEL-GOOD HOME What Really Makes Us Happy at Home? Find Out From a New Houzz Survey

By Mitchell Parker

Great design has a powerful impact on our happiness in our homes. So do good cooking smells, family conversations and, yes, big-screen TVs

Sponsored