I harvested seeds from what I think is a Butterfly Bush. Purchased two plants and put them in the ground in early summer. A month ago, I noticed pods on each plant: about 2 1/2 in long and stuffed full of something. One plant had 6 pods; the other had 4. Not sure what causes the bursting of the pods, but I scooped out small dark brown, very thin seeds with light, wispy, white threads attached to one end. (Had I not gathered the seeds, I'm sure wind would have carried them away.) As an experiment, I planted 5 seeds in a pot. Watched them closely and soon I had 3 new plants popping up. Have nurtured them along and I now have 3 8-inch tall plants. I'm watching the remaining full pods. I want to capture their seeds before the wind distributes them around my garden.

They like them some good soil, so incorporate some good stuff in your planting patch. Maybe even dig down a foot. Even 5 linear feet of a sweet pea patch should give you more than enough bouquets, so a small amount of work turning and sprucing up your soil is worth the effort. I put the seed in a glass of water overnight before sowing, which I do sometime around Halloween. Sow a little more than an inch deep and maybe 3 or 4 inches between seeds...you can thin later if necessary. The only other tip to stave off disappointment is when seedlings emerge, they must be protected by some sort of caging from birds, which will nip the seedlings when small. Once the seedlings get to 5 or 6 inches tall, they are usually safe and protection can be removed. It is also a good idea to put in your climbing structures early...if yours will be climbing a fence, perhaps you can just put up strings or netting or chicken wire for them to climb up...sounds easy. It is easier to have these climbing aids in place before the sweet peas grow too much. Sow in Oct - Nov, flowers from May to almost July. Garden jewels that everyone loves.

Check out Horizon Herbs at www.horizonherbs.com. They have an unbelievably large array of herb seeds available, and they do offer black cohosh. It is listed in the hard copy catalog that they sent to me.

Have you tried altitude.com It has some really interesting information about black cohosh. Another site I was looking at, said to harvest the seeds in late September or October. Depends on what zone you live in. I'm just getting ready for my harvest. I'm going to pick the seeds when they're just beginning to split, as another site suggested. I have an area where I can grow a nice patch. Some seeds may not grow the first year, but the site claims the second year they will, depending on the viability of the seed. If your looking to grow more plants, it seems the best method is to dig up the plant and divide the plant, making sure you get a rhizome. Happy propagation! Liam