I am soliciting advice on how soon I can harvest seed from a coneflower which was planted as a wildflower...
The state of Texas has planted wildflowers on the roadside ditches. Then, in their infinite wisdom, they mow the ditches before the plants have much opportunity to develop seed for the next year. As a result, I have sadly watched a patch of a delicate pastel coneflowers dwindle. I would love to harvest seed from a bloom. My intention is to keep the ditches reseeded.
How soon do these plants develop viable seed?
Saving the coneflower seed... How soon please?
Good morning Pod,
My 'generic' (species) purple coneflowers do make viable seeds if I allow them to ripen after the blooms are spent. Most other cultivars' seeds wouldn't come true if at all viable. As far as time frame? Boys! Let's say from summer to autumn. I haven't saved much seeds but those that I allowed to ripen will partially be treats for birds, and in turn they help to disperse them in various places in the garden for increase next growing season. For those that landed in places they're not meant for? I'd pot them up and share with friends and neighbors.
I'd suggest to bag seedpods while waiting for them to ripe to keep them from being birds' treats before we get to them. ^_^
Kim
p.s. Some of mine are forming buds as I type.
All of mine have buds now, most turning into cones and my Mango Meadowbrites are blooming with all their French's Mustard color.....a few Kim's Knee High are already flowering with their purple/pinkish color....the speicieds echinacea purpurea that I think you folks are talking about are still in bud like Kim's......I live down the road a piece from Kim so our time/weather/season is about the same, give or take a county or two away
Paul from Alabama
I would think the bloomhead cone must turn brown & dry for the seed to be viable. If the DOT mows them down before this happens, not much chance on them reseeding themselves. If these are Echinecea they should come back from their roots.
Hi Kim ~ Hi PaulFromAl ~ we keep meeting in a variety of places! 8 ))
Sadly, I won't have time to let these ripen before the state mowers come thru and wipe them out. It is usually mowed the first time around the end of May to middle of June. I need to wait as long as possible for seeds. Tried that last year and the mowers beat me to it!
I may just have to take my chances and my trusty spading fork and snag a whole plant. Hopefully my DG buddies will donate bail money or have plant sale fund raisers or at least drop me a note while I sit my jail time out... LOL
Shame on me... I've been enjoying these blooms for a few weeks already. And Kim, I have let these go to seed for years. Last summer, I found the birds had planted one on the backside of the garage. I thought it cool and left it alone. This year, that one plant had 16 blooms on it that I counted. Amazing!
Hi Cordeledawg ~ I know you are right! I was really hoping otherwise. The plants that are there do come back from roots but it is a small grouping. I was hoping to assist in them spreading. Guess that is not to be... Thanks anyway. pod
podster....That photo is wonderful.....boy I love them things.......and tomorrow, pictures of the kids.....Sorry been out of pocket today....
Paul from Alabama
Paul ~ I will have ample seeds to share (who doesn't) ~ y'ant some? LOL Could I consider them invasive???
3 things you can't have too much of......Love, Money and Coneflowers.....but not necessarily in that order.......:)
and again, and I hate to repeat myself here, Attila The Hun and the Mongol hordes that invaded and crushed parts of Asia and Europe were "invasive", echinacea purpurea?....NO, and don't ask me again.......:)
Paul from Alabama
By the look of that posted by you Pod. Please invade my world! lol. I just love it! Only I don't have sunny area to plant these beauties. In the shade they're just standing there and not making flower bud. Arghgg!!! And boys, your growing season is way ahead of us. Paul and I will have to play the 'waiting game here in Alabama' before we can see some flowers. lol.
Kim
Well Lily_love you know everything in Texas is ahead of everybody else, bigger, better etc.....But we can take solace in that here in Alabama we're #1 in car repossessions......:)
Looks to be a pretty weekend here Kim, had a nice rain last night too......
Here's a Mango from this morning....
Paul from Alabama.....
Mango and Yarrow! They don't rhymthe for no reason! They're fabuluous!!! Way to go Paul!
Paul that's a pretty combination mixed with a purple Verbena, is it?
Kim ~ mine are only receiving sun till about noon or one. Total afternoon shade.
Re: Texas being first ~ I hate to tell you it is sweltering and hot, hot, hot. The humidity is miserable. Coming your way... 8 ) :::
That's a smile dripping perspiration!
podster....yes, one of those joyous flowers that nobody has just one of....myself?....I have about 37,000......:)
Paul from Alabama
Bet you can't have just one! LOL
I dug up a different Verbena a few years ago behind work. It had fernlike foliage and was durable in the hard soil and bald open sun where it grew. I rescued and it is thriving as a groundcover and sprawling at its' new home. I love purples and oranges/golds... (with Lantana.)
Podster, that really is gorgeous and its a slam dunk with the gold lantana......I know it ain't for everyone and its overused they say these days, but New Gold lantana is a fine plant for my money......and the purple verbena?......KILLER......:)
Paul from Alabama
Showing how "ignert" I am, what is New Gold lantana? All the ones I have were given me by friends ~ ripped a chunk out of the ground and said here... stuff in soil and it will grow. And it has...
podster....You are one of the most sophisticated gardeners I know...say you just stuffed it in soil huh?....boy that must be some good loose soil..........:)
'New Gold' Lantana is a product dearest of the Great State Of Texas......and partner, don't let me catch you saying anything bad about Texas in general or 'New Gold' in particular, yah here?.........:)
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/cemap/lantanagold/lantanagold.html
Paul from Alabama
I ain't going to say anything bad about the big States of Texas for most of the memories I've of the States are wonderful big hearted people. My kids were raised their in there tender years, so was hubby (yupper, he's a full bread Alabamian, but a Texan-born -- the best!). As for Alabama? It's forevermore "The Beautiful" even with our record high of automobile repossession record (according to Paul -- lol).
Hey gents. and ladies, tell me more about latanas. They're half hardy and proven to be a hit or miss here for me. It's the cultivars? Paul, I'm going to raid your blogs and other posts to learn more.
I've enjoyed both of your postings (Podster's and Paul's) tremenduously. Pod, eventhough you aren't in MidSouth forum. It seems I've tracked your posts down wherever they're on DG. Pardon my boldness.
Kim
Likes purple cone flowers, Shasta daisy are/is forming buds here in my little garden in Central Alabama. A littel further South I'd qualify for being in LA. Yes, L.A. for "Lower Alabama" and not LA. in California, nor the great State of Lousiana. lol.lol.
Kim
Kim, you're too funny. I like following your posts around too!
Deborah
Yes, I agree, when Kim has something to say, I am interested and willing to learn. I do peruse the threads in MSG on a regular basis... that is where I encountered Paul as well as yourself Kim. Have met some super folks online there.
Paul, thanks for the correction, make that "crammed it in the soil!" LOL
Kim ~ Upright Lantanas (L. horrida) are pretty durable. The trailing Lantana is hit and miss for me. Tell me how you overwinter yours? Pruning? Mulch? Moisture?
Good loose soil? No way! I've been out trying to excavate some dwarf cannas for a DGr. I can't break the soil loose. Maybe that is why they are dwarfed?!?! LOL Last summer, tractors and concrete trucks packed it for me. I may need dynamite. I am beat and haven't dug the first one yet! Of course us being too dry isn't helping.
The gold colored Lantana is growing right above the cannas... amazing. Off to check out the NEW GOLD ~ be back...
OK Kim I exaggerated about the repossessions..... OK Kim no I didn't I out and out lied.......OK?......:)
Everything I hear about 'New Gold' says it ain't hardy around here but I've had mine for 3 years and it comes back better every year, I got 2 in the ground catty-cornered in front of 'May Night' salvia, but the first flush of the salvia is to early for the lantana so after I deadhead the salvia it's second go comes in nicely with the lantana....the literature says 'New Gold' is half-hardy and should be treated as an annual, but I don't believe everything I read since I saw where Thomas Dewey beat Harry Truman in the 48' election, them newspaper folks think I must be stupid....well I'm not stupid but then I wasn't born till 49' either........:)
Whatever Deborah said, I go with it.....
podster, crammed?....such violence in society these days.......:)
Concrete trucks?...Tractors?.....Not on my flower beds, I'd shoot me a concrete truck and mount it on the wall of my den......:)
Paul from Alabama
LOL ~
I went to that derned site and got lost. Not in the "New Gold" but in their herbal info and recipes. Gotta quit distracting me like that!
I must admit I lean toward the older plants and they generally are not as prolific bloomers but shy away from hybrids. You are both located in 7b, have you two compared notes on various plant successes/failures?
poster, you're just like me wife, pass a cashiers check for several million dollars in front of your faces and you get easily distracted......:)
Some of the finest people I know are located in Zone 7b......:)
and one other thang, sometimes older is better.....I keep telling my wife that every time I have a birthday
Paul from Alabama
Always ~ older IS better! Just ask us old fogies... lol
Oddly enough a cashiers check with lots of numbers wouldn't be as distracting as plants; fragrant, blooming, unusual, edible, you name it! One DGr called it "plant porn".
So as not to deviate from the thread base... these guys haven't attracted the normal butterflies this spring.
Good morning fellow gardeners, Pod since I added several bird houses and feeders to the backyard, oddly I've seen fewer butterflies in the garden. Wondering why? LOL, I've seen them purdies darted about, but hang around for any duration is a rare occurrence.
Wonder if it is a "down" year for the butterflies everywhere...
Butterflies?.....Just told Sharon from KY, that a little organge one landed on the edge of my computer screen just now as I was writing and just sat there.....never noticed no nectar on my laptop screen but hey there you go....let me find an pic of the kind it was, one sec....alright this might be it....looks like anyways
Paul from Alabama
Very pretty Paul ~ coneflowers are normally wonderful butterfly bait.
These photos were from last May. This year all I've attracted are jumbo bees, which don't bother me.
Right before going on vacation, I snagged an old bloom on which the petals were dry & wilting. Today, I find it has made no seed. I am assuming there are no coneflower "flavors" that don't make seed so I officially know the answer to my question.