I've grown the species from seed as well as one named 'Screaming Yellow' but the plants haven't matured enough to bloom yet so the jury's still out on whether they bloom true from seed. My mature named cultivars all form seed pods.

It looks to me like there is some guardian angel in there somewhere.

I have a seedling "Imperial Impressions x Jackie Kennedy Onasis that set seeds very late for me this year. I also used it's pollen and it worked for that, too. I had a terrible year for setting seed because of the heat and I let my pollen ruin by not keeping it cold when I tried to keep it from week to week. Lesson learned!!! I'll be up before the birds next year and I'll freeze pollen for later use. I used "Forrest Lake Ragamuffin" pollen on the above seedling and it set very well. I also used "Arctic Lace" and "Wild Irish" pollen on several other seedlings that set pods. "Lavender Fantasia" set many pods and a seedling "Star of India x Lavender Fantasia" set several pods. I'm also excited about one pod on the "II x JKO" seedling. I used the pollen from a seedling that I bought 2 years ago: "Bass Gibson x Golden Tenticles". The blooms from the BG x GT seedling is kinda like so many others, yellow with small teeth, but I hope that it's prodigy will look a lot better. I use Mr. Lucky pollen on several reds and oranges and it worked as usual. I'm promising myself that I will get these seeds planted, soon. I got a lot of pods from a Dip seedling "Javenese Jewel x Fancy Face" crossed with several of my dip spiders and one called "Plum Perfect". I'm going to go see if I have pictures. Great thread. Blessings Mona

was wanting to dry some seeds, mostly sweet-corn but possibly also some haricot vert green beans. I'm wondering how I can tell from the original packaging if they are non-hybrids and therefore will product the same plant. If the package says "open pollinated " they are probably not hybrids . I suppose my other considerations are if I grew any compatible but different plants in the nearby area since pollination would generate a naturally hybridized seed correct? 2) separate the varieties by rows of tall sunflowers on all sides can cut down on accidental hybridization . Is it possible to buy sweet-corn from a farmer's market and know or have a good confidence that you could dry the seeds and produce the same crop next year? 3) if you pick the overripe ears ,dry them completely ,store them in a tight jar so the bugs won't get at them you have a good chance . I have done it . do not let them get moldy however.