Lilac Seed Picture Information

A very old lilac bush from my mothers homestead has these seedheads on. I would like to collect some seeds, (there are no young plants growing around the old lilac plant) so I can grow this at my home. Some of the pods are brown and split open, but I failed to find any seeds. Anyone have a picture of a lilac seed they can share and or tell me just what to look for?

Picture of seed pods

This message was edited Sep 18, 2005 1:14 AM

It sounds like the mature pods have already dropped their seeds. Can you bag some stems on the plant? Maybe tie a section of panty hose over a branch that still has green or unopened pods on it so that when the pods open you don't lose the seeds. Also, I would check inside some of the green pods of that branch... see if you can locate the developing seeds to get an idea of what they will look like when they're ready... I don't know on lilacs, but on many plants the immature seeds will look similar to the ripe ones, but they will be greenish or a light color.

Hopefully somebody will weigh in with specific advice on collecting & starting lilac seeds. Sorry not to be of more help.

I can not bag branches on this plant because it is not on my mothers property any longer and the plant is almost a 100 miles away. Like the idea of the panty hose over a branch that has green or unopened pods on it so I don't lose the seeds. Have several branches with seed pods from the tips of the tree and will place them in one of my wifes panty hoses. Still need to know what I am looking for. Found several pods on a branch that were not split open. When I tried to split them all I got was two half-pods. Could not get anything that looked like a seed out of the split pod. Will try the hose idea and maybe something will start to show up. Also considering planting a few of the un-opended pods. Don't think the pods are the seeds, but I am getting a little desperate. With all the information on the internet and the number of lilacs sold each year, find it hard to believe that there are not any lilac seed pictures! Maybe I just haven't found the right search word or site.

Thanks for your help

semesterke

I was just wondering about lilac seeds when I chanced upon this thread. My parents have three lilac plants and they have pods on them just like in your photo there. I of course picked some and even though they are split open I have found some seeds in them. I would be willing to share some with you..just d-mail me with your addy. Maybe somebody with some knowledge of how to get them started will come along and help us out :)

breeze03:

I am going to check my glasses to make sure there is a lens in them. After that I will see if I need a new prescription. Please tell me what you saw.

What did the seed(s) look like?? Can you take a close-up picture?

BTW Thanks for your offer, but I am trying to get a plant or plants going from the pods I collected. The tree has sentimental value. I am not just looking for a lilac plant; I want one from my mom’s tree.

As for how to plant the seeds please check (and other sites): http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_syvu.pdf

Thank You

semesterke

Thanks for the site :) Going to try to post pics.

One more...tried to get close up...hope this helps.

WOW and WOW again. Great pictures. . .THANKS!

Now I know what to look for.

Thank you for going to the trouble to help me out.

Great work.

semesterke

Your welcome :)