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Hummingbird Garden

question about cleome seeds

18 years ago

I've been collecting the first seeds of the season here. cleome and garden balsam.

some of the cleome seeds are brown and bumpy, like a single nugget of grape nuts cereal. others are black and smooth. are they both viable? are the brown ones seeds at all?

I'll experiment with both in separate winter sowing containers next year, but I'd like to know in advance for seed exchanges this winter. I don't want to send folks the wrong stuff.

thank you.

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Comments (10)

Birdlegs
18 years ago
Standard,
Cleome seeds are blackish. I would say the nugget of grape nuts are not mature yet. Pick the seeds from the bottom just before it splits the seem. By the way how big is a grape nut?
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standard65
Original Author
18 years ago
thanks, birdlegs.
when collecting, I gently pulled on the string bean-like seed pods, and some would just split right open when touched, and others wouldn't open at all. I left the ones that wouldn't open easily for next time.
there were brown and black ones in the same pods, which is why I posted. I can't make intuitive sense of that.
thanks.
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mimidi
18 years ago
Standard I have been harvesting my cleome seed too. I haven't notice what you are seeing.
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standard65
Original Author
18 years ago
all right, I went and looked at the seeds again, and after a couple days drying, they all look much more uniform.

my guess now is that the shiny black ones were still moist and hadn't dried all the way. I looked at them through a 30x microscope, and they all look like little whorled seashells, or commas, or bass clefs, that same fibonacci spiral that one sees throughout nature.
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standard65
Original Author
18 years ago
here's a link about fibonacci numbers. scroll up to see some seashells, some math, and some definitions.
scroll down to see some examples in flowers.

Here is a link that might be useful: fibonacci numbers in plants
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Birdlegs
18 years ago
Well anywho, you will get a ton of seed of cleome, so just send a bunch. Grape nuts, Sea shells, O my! I love the flower but they stink like a kitty litter box. Any thing for or jewels!
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mimidi
18 years ago
Stantard I have been taking container, a pair of scissors and just cutting off all the lower seed pods of my cleomes. I have pink and purple mixed together and then a beautiful rose seed by themselves.

I am trying to save seed from several flowers so I can try and trade for something I do not have.

I have learned my lesson this year about spending money on so many different plants. The hummingbirds that I have visiting with me right now are low rent. They do not require expensive or exotic plants.
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Pam_Jean
18 years ago
Standard, my daughter did a project on Fibonacci numbers in 8th grade which she presented at a Math fair. I just showed her your post. She's a soph is college now.

Pam
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Toodles
18 years ago
I have collected some cleome seeds from a friend. Since they seed themselves, should I plant them this time of year or wait until spring ?By the way, they are black. Any planting instructions would be appreciated. Thanks in Advance Toodles
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penny1947
18 years ago
Toodles
You can sow them now or wait till spring...your call. If you do them now make sure to sow them in nice lose soil so that they settle in for the winter. Mine that are sown in a rocky clay mix don't reseed.

Penny
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