Another reason why seed bags make collection easier is that different plants have different dispersal methods to transport their seeds far away. Some are adapted to catch the wind, some get eaten by wildlife, some attach themselves to insects or animal fur, and some even explode or eject their seeds. For any of these dispersal types, a seed bag can effectively catch the seeds. At the same time, a bag can act as a physical barrier to protect the seeds of rare or endangered species from being eaten by birds, insects, deer, or other wildlife.

The bags don’t interfere with the pollination process because they are put onto the flowers after they bloom and are effectively pollinated. We also refer to the guidelines of Seeds of Success—a national native seed collection program led by the Bureau of Land Management—in deciding which populations to collect seeds from. Then, our Native Plant Nursery staff checks the bags regularly to see if the seeds have dropped. Some seeds might need to be planted right away, but others we will store to be planted at a later date. Whenever they are ready to plant, we can mimic the natural processes that break the dormancy of seeds in several ways using various stratification and scarification methods. Our nursery team is excited to have recently received a grant for a new fridge—this means we have more storage space for collected seeds and are better equipped to safeguard vulnerable species!

Photo Credit: Grant Dotson