Stonecrop sedum seeds/pods?

Can anyone tell me, or direct me to a picture of what the seed pods/seeds look like for Autumn Joy, Stonecrop Sedum? I have a bunch of pretty ones and would like to save seeds.
blpender

don't know, but those are very pretty. Why not propagate them from cuttings or divisions? It would take less time for them to mature!

blpender, sedum seeds are very tiny, and they are in the dried flower heads. Since Autumn Joy blooms late, you'll have to wait awhile to get the seeds. The flower heads should be dry and crunchy when you harvest them. I would carefully cut the heads, keeping them upright, then tip them into a bowl to see if the seed just drops out. If not, you may need to bring the seed heads in to dry awhile, then crush the heads and sift the seed out. When you trade for sedum seed, you're usually going to get chaff, too, but you just plant it all and you get sedum!

Thank you so much. We've already had a killing frost here, so I do have a bunch of seed heads cut, and drying on newspapers in the basement.
I wanted to save seeds in order to share. I have plenty of the sedum. I brought a large clump of it home from work about 8 years ago, hacked it into pieces and planted it along the side of the garage. It's done well there, and has filled in nicely.

I would be happy to trade for the seeds whenever you feel they are ready!

Okay, let me dry the flower heads and collect them (and make sure they are really seeds, LOL) first. I'd be happy to share with you.

blpender,
Very pretty sedum you have there. I've never tried them from seed before b/c I could never be sure of 'what the seed was' coming out of the flower head. LOL
sharon

LOL, that isn't very reassuring. My seed heads are still drying. I will try with my lighted magnifier. So far, what has fallen out on the paper only looks to be tiny bits of flowers.
blpender

If the seed is mature and the heads are dried, you should be able to shake them out on a white plate and see them. They will be tiny, but you can roll them between your fingers and feel them. Just shaking them out will mean you'll not get all the seeds, necessarily, but crushing the heads and sifting out the seeds will mean you will get some chaff. I just plant the fine chaff and seed, and I get seedlings. I start them indoor under lights in sterilized seed starter.

I just shook out a flower head. Are these long tubular things the seeds or are they flower parts? What about the nearly microscopic round things? I wish I knew what I was looking for.
blpender

You can try lightly blowing on them to see what remains. Otherwise, I'd just sift out the big stuff and package it up with a note that some chaff is included. A wise lady that taught me a great deal about seed collecting told me that you can feel all seeds if you rub them between your fingers. Even the tiniest of seeds feels gritty. If the material balls up or flattens when you do this, it's probably not seed.

OK, I finally took some time to do a little research. I couldn't find a photo of Sedum spectabile seeds online, so I got out the trusty digital camera and looked through my seed tote for seeds to photograph. Now, keep in mind, all my sedum seeds have some chaff. I rub the seed heads through a kitchen sieve several times to remove the large chaff, then consider it as close as I can get without losing a good deal of seed to remove more chaff.

I poured some of my seeds out onto white paper and photographed them with my macro setting. My camera is a mid-range point and shoot, so the images could be much better with a better camera, but you can get the idea. There are two distinct shapes and textures. One is long and cylindrical or rectangular, and one is more spherical. Both have substance when rolled between my fingers, so I'm not absolutely sure which is which. Until I can get some sort of confirmation on the web, I'd still suggest you sift it down to the smaller parts, then just include both so you don't remove the real seeds.

I have noticed that rolling the mix around on the paper tends to separate out the two shapes. However, if I blow lightly on the mix, I seem to be blowing away a good amount of both. Maybe this is why most sedum seed has a bit of chaff included. This photo shows the my two fingers... the one on the top has what I believe to be the seed.. spherical. The lower finger has what I believe to be the chaff rectangular or cylindrical.

OK, now I have found a package of Stokes seed, commercially prepared. These are Sedum (spurium) Dragon's Blood, but I think they will be quite similar to your plant's seeds. As you can see, the rounder, darker fellows seem to be the seed.

Ah, okay. I don't have anything (yet) that looks like that, but then, I've only just gently shaken them. Maybe I need to give them a good hard shake of perhaps rough up the flower heads with my fingers to get them to release. I think the only thing that I've shook loose so far is pieces of the flowers.
I really do appreciate you taking the time to take these pictures. This has helped me tremendously. Thanks so much.
blpender

If the seed heads are entirely dry, detach them from the long stems and rub the heads through a strainer.

Gotcha. Will do. Thanks. I'll let you know if I'm successful.
blpender

Yes, keep me posted! It is possible that the seeds heads had not matured when you picked them. If so, wait until they are dry next year, even if it is winter by the time that happens. When you harvest, take a large tupperware container or something of that sort, then tip the heads into it, disturbing them as little as possible when you cut them. You will likely see the seeds and some chaff fall out onto the white plastic, so it will give you an indication of what you are looking for. You may even get enough seeds that you do not feel the need to strain the heads.

I have failed. There is not a seed to be had. I picked seed heads 3 different times to be sure I'd get some at the right stage. Nada.
There are still some seed heads out there, and I can go out right now and bring them in, just in case, but they were all pretty dry and dead when I picked them.
It is extremely windy here. I wonder if they blew off the plants.
The weather is suppose to nose dive starting tonight with a winter storm watch, so I better go out and get those now if I'm going to.
Drat. Those are so pretty, I had so hoped to have some seeds to share.
blpender

Okay, another thought. Are you SURE the seeds are in the flowers? The reason I ask, I just went down stairs to gather up the entire Sedum mess and throw it in the dumpster. I was rolling up the papers with the seed heads in it, and I noticed something that looked half like a curled up leaf and half like maybe a very small (half inch) seed pod. I crushed it in my fingers, and am pretty certain seeds came out. I unrolled the paper, and just left the mess there and will go through it this weekend. Maybe I've been looking in the wrong place.
blpender

Nope, they don't make a seed pod. You may have picked up the seed pod of another plant in the process. I suppose it is possible that your plants have already lost their seed, but did you try sifting them through a strainer?

I did. After I rubbed the flower head through the strainer, I took that and put it through a series of smaller strainers. Nada.
Guess I'll have to just wait till next year and start cutting flower heads earlier.
I have plenty of the sedum, and if I want additional, I suppose I can just divide my chunks, but I was hoping to have some seed to share. Maybe next year. Thanks for your help. BTW, are you on the address list?
blpender

Sure am. I'm going to take the time to update my trade list soon, I swear!

LOL, I don't even HAVE a trade list on DG. I was going to do that early last year, but I am so computer challenged. I do have a regular list, but D-mail will not support a text attachment. Have been toying with the idea of scanning it, making it a jpeg file, and sending it that way, rather than having to ask for everyones regular email address and sending it like that.
Anyway, I did not get any seeds from my Siberian Bellflower. I had intended on sending you some, but I do have a number of other seeds that should be okay in your area, and would like to send you an assortment for all the help you've been. I see from your trade list that you favor columbine and Campanulas.
I also have some blue impatiens, and if you think those would do in your area, I'll send some of those as well.
blpender

I have been watching this thread and learning alot ... thanks all.... sorry to chime in now but blpender all you have to do off your text file is highlight all the text - right click your mouse - click copy and go on daves and right click your mouse again and click paste

no need to turn it into a jpeg file

and I will let you know if my flower heads have seeds... I have a few types of tall sedum... and will share if I find any

I hope I do... I want to fill this spot in with more of them

Allison

Okay, I'll try it, but be warned, you are dealing with someone who measures computer success in being able to turn it on and turn it off. Just one question, when I have my text on the screen, do I put Dave's down at the bottom?
Do you think we should take this discussion off list? Probably no one is interested in how challenged I really am.
blpender

I'll email you blpender. You're welcome to email your list to me, but I've still got to update my DG list. I also have to do my Word doc. list, so give me a little time, unless you need the seeds right away. I don't plant until Jan or February. I start most everything under lights in my basement or winter sow in early spring.

Onewish1, I have some sedum seed you might like for your rock garden, as well as some hen and chicks. They are all great rock garden plants. I already have some on my old trade list, so click on my name, and then on my tradelist. I will also have some sedum cuttings in summer or early fall. Most all sedum grow well from soft stem cuttings.