When I was new to gardening, I depended upon the kindness of friends and strangers to help fill my beds. Unfortunately, I was too green to realize what treasures I had in hand until I’d wasted them.
When an elderly friend gave me her heirloom, ruffled, pink, annual poppies (Papaver somniferum), I sowed them freely in a new bed of perennials. The first year they did fine, no doubt because I’d planted hundreds of seeds. By the second year, though, the perennials had filled in, leaving no bare space for poppies to sprout. I scavenged a few plants when I saw they were struggling and transplanted them to open areas of my garden, but in vain. Poppies need to be moved with their roots undisturbed, intact in a shovelful of soil. The bare-rooted seedlings I’d pulled up hung on for a few weeks, then declined and died. By that time, my friend had passed on to the great garden in the sky, and the new owner had turned her glorious gardens back to grass.
No problem, I thought—I’d just purchase seeds. Turns out that those pretty, frilly flowers were the result of decades of natural selection in her garden. After years of self-sowing and my friend pulling out the plants with single-petaled flowers or off colors, they’d settled into a variety that reliably reproduced itself year after year. I spent more money than I want to admit buying seeds from every available supplier before I realized the sad truth. Her variety of poppies wasn’t offered commercially. So I started from scratch, saving seed from the prettiest poppies until I had something close to my friend’s ruffled beauties. Now, I can smugly say I have my own strain of annual pink poppies from which I religiously gather seed year after year to perpetuate what I call the ‘Sally’ strain.
Collecting seeds is one of those activities that makes me feel like a wealthy woman. As the seed supply spills out of the first, small envelopes into manila 8210s and Mason jars, I take as much pleasure as Midas in counting my riches of coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata and other spp.), calliopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria), hollyhocks (Alcea rosea), and moonflowers (Ipomoea alba), among others. By the time I’m finished in fall, I will have shelves stuffed with the makings of next year’s garden.
How To Collect Seeds From Perennials For Free Plants
Collecting seeds from perennial flowers, herbs, and vegetables in your garden is a simple way to get free plants year after year. Growing new plants from the seeds of your existing perennials allows you to propagate more of your favorites at no cost. It’s also a great way to preserve heirloom varieties and share special plants with gardening friends.
With a bit of knowledge about the seed collecting process, harvesting and saving perennial seeds is easy Follow some basic guidelines and you’ll be gathering viable seeds to sow in no time. Read on to learn when and how to successfully collect seeds from perennial plants
Why Save Perennial Seeds?
Here are some of the top benefits of saving seeds from perennials:
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It’s inexpensive. Purchased perennials can cost $10, $20 or more per pot. Saving your own seeds lets you grow more plants for free.
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It propagates adapted strains. The offspring of your healthiest perennials will thrive in your garden conditions.
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It preserves heirlooms. You can keep treasured varieties going that aren’t available commercially.
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It allows sharing. Trade seeds with other gardeners to get new varieties.
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It’s fun. Collecting and sowing your own seeds is rewarding.
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It’s easy. Many perennials naturally produce abundant seeds that are simple to harvest.
While starting perennials from seed does require more time than buying plants, the savings make it worthwhile. The seeds you collect can supply free plants for many years to come.
What Perennial Seeds to Save
Nearly any perennial can be grown from seed, but some are easier than others. Great choices for beginners include:
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Popular perennial flowers like coneflowers, rudbeckia, lupines, daisies, liatris, balloon flowers, poppies, and sea holly.
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Culinary and medicinal herbs such as sage, thyme, oregano, catmint, lemon balm, and echinacea.
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Common perennial vegetables like asparagus, rhubarb, artichokes, and sorrel.
Avoid collecting seeds from sterile varieties, aggressive spreaders like mint, and perennials that hybridize easily such as hollyhocks and delphiniums. Play it safe by only saving seeds from open-pollinated heirlooms.
When to Harvest Perennial Seeds
Timing is critical when gathering perennial seeds. Monitor plants closely and collect seeds as soon as they are mature to prevent loss. Signs seeds are ready include:
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Dry, brown flower heads and seed pods. These change from green to tan or dark brown.
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Opening of seed capsules and pods. Mature seeds become visible.
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Seeds detached from pods and heads. Some perennials naturally release seeds when ripe.
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Hard, plump seeds. Immature seeds are soft and shriveled.
In general, seeds mature toward the end of the growing season as plants fade. But pay close attention to harvest at peak ripeness. Mark your calendar for key perennials.
How to Collect Seeds from Perennial Plants
Use these simple techniques to gather viable seeds from your perennials:
Wait for pods and heads to fully dry and turn brown before harvesting.
Use sharp pruners or scissors to snip off entire mature seed heads or pods.
You can also pinch or shake out seeds as pods split open.
Place seed heads and pods into labeled envelopes or bags.
Further dry the seeds for 1-2 weeks indoors.
Crush pods and shake bags to separate out the seeds.
Remove any debris like stems and pod pieces (called chaff).
Let seeds finish drying before storage.
Some seeds like hollyhocks are ripe while still green. Learn your plants’ unique seed habits. With practice, you’ll master recognizing seed maturity.
Storing Perennial Seeds
After harvesting perennial seeds, proper storage is key to maintain viability:
Allow seeds to fully dry for a few weeks after collecting.
Place seeds in envelopes or jars labeled with the plant name and year.
Store in a cool, dark place. Add silica gel packs to absorb moisture.
Most perennial seeds will last for 2-3 years if stored correctly.
Germinating and Growing Saved Seeds
When ready to plant your collected perennial seeds:
Conduct a germination test by sprouting a sample before planting.
Discard any seeds that fail to sprout to avoid wasting time and space.
Direct sow hardy perennial seeds in fall or early spring. Or start indoors and transplant later.
Take care not to let seedlings get pot-bound before moving them into the garden.
Expect variable germination times, often 2-6 weeks.
Be patient for plants to mature and bloom, which may take 1-3 years.
With attentive harvesting at the right stage followed by proper drying, cleaning, and storage, the perennial seeds you collect will remain viable. Then you can perpetuate beloved plants, propagate more specimens, and share treasured varieties with other gardeners. Saving perennial seeds is easy and rewarding.
Tips for Success Collecting Perennial Seeds
Follow these tips to get great results harvesting your own perennial seeds:
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Learn the ideal harvest times for each of your perennials. Mark your calendar to remember.
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Check seed heads daily as maturity approaches to catch them at the perfect stage.
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When in doubt if seeds are ripe, wait a few more days until pods and heads are brittle and brown.
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Use paper envelopes or breathable bags for initial seed drying to prevent mold.
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Label everything carefully with plant names and the year collected.
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Save seeds from your very best, healthy perennial specimens.
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Only collect seeds from open-pollinated plants, not hybrids.
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Share extras with gardening friends. Perennial seeds make great gifts!
With some practice, patience, and proper care, the seeds you gather from your own perennial flowers, herbs and vegetables will provide a bounty of free plants for years to come. You’ll discover the joy of growing garden gems from seeds you harvested yourself.
If you want to start plants from seed…
Check out All About Starting Seeds for links to what you need to know about equipment and techniques.
Start simply, with flowers
Packet prices can add up in a hurry, even if you have only a small bed to fill. A few minutes of shaking ripe seed into an envelope in the early fall can produce a summer garden next year that is filled with mallows, petunias, marigolds, and other favorites—all grown for free. Saving your own seeds enables you to use your garden budget for major nonplant investments, like that teakwood table and chairs you’ve been lusting after.
You can save seeds from all kinds of plants. Annuals are the easiest because they’re the most prolific at producing seeds, but perennials and biennials are entirely possible. However, some plants aren’t worth gathering seed from because they reproduce much faster by division. I don’t fool with bee balm (Monarda didyma), daylilies (Hemerocallis cvs.), irises (Iris spp.), or showy evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa), for example. Although I could grow them from seed, why bother? A quick thrust with a trowel and I have a good start ready to plant.
It never occurred to me to save seed from bulbs until a few years ago, but now I do it all the time. Small, early spring bulbs like scillas (Scilla siberica) and snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are particularly rewarding. Instead of waiting half a lifetime to have an ocean of blue scillas under my trees, I accomplished it in five years by collecting seed and nurturing the tiny plants that sprouted, planting them one by one in a gradually outward-spreading area.
Birds gave me the idea of growing vines, shrubs, and trees from seed. They “deposited” the start of many of the plants in my woodsy front yard, from virgin’s bower (Clematis virginiana) to American holly (Ilex opaca) and hawthorn (Crataegus spp.). I appreciate the birds’ efforts, but I like my plantings a little less willy-nilly, so now I do my own collecting of berries and seeds for woody plants.
Flowers are best for beginners, because most of them need no special treatment to encourage seeds to sprout. Self-sowing plants, like California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), spider flowers (Cleome hasslerana), and cottage garden columbines (Aquilegia vulgaris), are perfect to practice on.
Not all plants grown from seed look like their parents. Those that do are called “heritage seeds.” They’re a specialty of some catalogs and, more informally, among backyard gardeners. Like my friend’s pink poppies, or the wonderful ivory-seeded sunflowers (Helianthus annuus ‘Tarahumara White’) developed by Tarahumara Indians of the Southwest, these plants always “come true” from seed.
By collecting seed from many plants in your garden, you’re bound to be rewarded with surprises. One of my favorite garden flowers is an oddball-striped, russet marigold that brightens my summer garden. It cropped up from a batch of seed I saved from an expensive named variety, and I gradually weeded out the strays until it bred nearly true. Now I hand out envelopes of the seeds, confident that most of the young’uns will look a lot like Mom Marigold, but knowing that friends may get their own just-as-welcome surprises in the batch.
How to Save Seeds: Seed Saving Techniques EXPLAINED
FAQ
How to collect seeds from perennial flowers?
When I see flowers fading, I keep an eye on the forming seeds. As the seed heads turn brown with ripeness, I snip them off. Usually, I cut carefully, one seed head at a time.
What is the 3 year rule for perennials?
The “3-year rule” or “sleep, creep, leap” for perennials refers to the typical growth pattern of perennial plants. In their first year, they focus on root development (“sleep”). The second year, they start to creep along, showing some foliage growth and perhaps a few flowers.
What are the easiest flowers to collect seeds from?
- Marigolds
- Sunflowers
- Calendula
- Nasturtium
- Cosmos
- Zinnia
- Poppies
- Bachelor’s Buttons (aka cornflower)