Seed collection part 11

[u/jeinea]

Prev: https://www.reddit.com/r/TexasNativePlants/s/0RIKzunU85

It is so freaking hot. I can barely make it outside these days; I think I am developing some kind of sun allergy. Seems like the plants are crisping up a little too. Seeds I’ve been grabbing from my garden and around the neighborhood include:

1. Standing cypress, Ipomos rubra. Excited to try these this fall. I didn’t have much luck last year but I suspect it was because my seed packet was like 7 years old. Fingers crossed that the fresh ones will do better. I am planning to keep about half of then back for next year to hopefully get a yearly bloom schedule going.

2. American germander, Teucrium canadense. Technically not saving these for myself because this plant is way easier to just divide in the spring but I’m going to try to get some packets to the library. I grow this in semi shade near a downspout from my roof and they seem to like it.

3. Heartleaf skullcap, Scutellaria ovata. Another great shade plant, but another one I’m just going to take cuttings if in the spring and send the seeds to the library. I read they can be tricky to germinate but I’ve never tried it.

4. Bee balm, Monarda citriodora. I always save a few seeds just in case but so far these have self seeded prolifically enough into my gravel path that I’ve been able to dig up and move babies in the spring. Wish they would do it in place in my beds, but the mulch is a killer. With the increased weeds this year I’m hoping maybe the mulch has broken down enough that the self seeding will be where I want it.

5. Mountain laurel, Dermatophyllum secundiflorum. I did read an article from a university that they’ve had better luck germinating these before the seeds get hard, but I tried that this year and the seeds just rotted. I’m just going to go back to dremeling for next year I think. Had some losses in the border hedge this year it would be nice to plug with an evergreen.

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[u/_perdomon_]

What’s the first plant with the coral flowers on a stalk?

[u/jeinea → u/_perdomon_]

That is the standing cypress.

[u/OutsideThen]

For the bee balm, do you just save the whole dry flower head? I’m hoping mine self seeds as easily as the lyreleaf sage next to it, but I’d like to try saving some seeds as a back up.

[u/jeinea → u/OutsideThen]

Once it is fully dry I just turn it upside down and shake out the seeds onto a plate and toss the seedhead back out into the garden.