Saving Torenia seeds

Can anyone please tell me how to save the seeds from Torenia? I keep looking at the dead blooms, but I can't find anything. As you can tell I am a newbie. :0)

All help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm wondering the same thing- I love the Torenia, my grandmother had some years ago, and recently I made a little wild garden apparently near where the Torenia had been, and lots of beautiful little Torenias popped up! Since they bloom when the plant is so small, it's becoming a favorite, and I don't like annuals for the most part.
I've been experimenting with the blooms and the bloom pods, and if I find anything I will let you know, too. :)
I have a feeling maybe the seeds are teeny-tiny, so I'll also try sowing anything that looks as if it may grow! What I've collected off the Torenia are drying right now, and should be ready to sow soon.
~Gina

Thanks for answering. What exactly did you find that you thought might germinate? Maybe I should put on my glasses when I look at this plant...lol. Is there something inside of the dead bloom?

"Is there something inside of the dead bloom?"

Umm.... haha, not really anything I could tell. But by the way that these plants self-sow so prolifically, there must be something there, or in the pod. So basically I'm just gonna crumble some of the dried parts, look for anything that remotely resembles seed, and see if anything will grow from what I crumble up. :)

Sound like a good idea to me. Let me know if it works. I'll try that this afternoon. Thanks!

I'll let you know if/when anything grows, and good luck to you too!

Thanks! I let you know if I have any luck as well.

I've been experimenting with plant cuttings and have been able to successfully root Torenia. One of the very few I've had success with. This was my second year having these and they are one of my favorite. Will be watching to see if anyone discovers the seed source.

As an afterthought, here's pic of Torenia coming up among double Impatients in my shade garden. The Torenia are the purple flowers. They sort of have a speading habit that allows them to peek up through other low growing plants. These are called Summer Wave Large Violet.

They are beautiful. Do you root in water or in soil?

Actually, I rooted those in gel, but I think they would do well in water. The stems are similar to impatients.

Thanks Beaker, I'll give it a try, if I can't find those elusive seeds!!!

Just wanted to make a note that I surface-sowed a couple of parts of the Torenia yesterday. Unfortunately I don't have a camera to make a better presentation of what I sowed, and of what -if anything- results. I did find two parts which I think may be the seed: one is a flat blackish rice-shaped thing of which I think there were a couple (or maybe just the one) per empty shell. [I'm using "shell" b/c I don't know the scientific name for that piece]
The other possibiity is these tiny tiny things which seemed to be sticking in a little group b/c they had feathers.
Hopefully we'll get results soon :)

I'm hoping one of us will stumble on to something and can let the others know. Good luck!

check this out
http://theseedsite.co.uk/podscruffy.html

I know the the seeds are so small I have trouble seeing them with my 275 reading glasses. Love the plant--hate the tiny seeds--LOL

I had looked on The Seed Site for info on Torenia, but never found it- thanks for the direct link! Although I'm not sure if what it says will apply to Torenias. From what I'm reading, I think it may be saying that the seeds are discharged when the flowers themselves open, since there isn't a seperate seed pod that I've observed on Torenias... of course, anyone else is welcome to decipher that info!
;)

sorry dbl posted

This message was edited Sep 9, 2006 9:59 PM

Gina and sheshe I came across this, I hope it helps.

These are not my words, but quoted from a different garden site.
Torenia seeds grow from a pod that forms directly under the flower. When the flower first falls off, it this pod is slightly open, as you will see in the pod on the left. The base of the flower was inside this pod when it was growing and its falling off creates this hole. This does not mean the seeds are ready. When the flower first falls off, there is another protective barrier over the outer pod. I call this the true pod. When the seeds ripen, this barrier falls off and you will see the seeds. See pod on right for a look at the seeds. They are the size of a grain of play sound (about) and tan to white in color. Seeds will fall out and germinate if they fall on moist soil. Seedlings appear in about 7 days and the leaves are oval and small. I now have 28 seedlings in two pots I had correopsis growing in that was next to the torenia plant that I bought. It's still in a pot. Needs light to germinate. Just drop the seeds on top of the soil and keep moist.

link didn't work, below is the picture of Torenia seedpod

Thanks Connie!
Good thing I didn't throw out that sand stuff... I can see how I missed seeing the other seed pod thingy: I didn't look inside the open green pod. I'll try to be more imaginative next time I'm actively looking.
I think that closes this thread :)

Thank you so much cegoins. You have saved me alot of work planting things that weren't seeds...lol.

lol, you are both very welcome.
Connie