Zinnia seeds WANTED - bulk amounts

I need lots and lots of zinnia seeds - I don't mind chaff or complete seed heads as I will be tossing them out into the back field.

Well, ya'll...I did some trades earlier in the year for all kinds of butterfly nectar plant seeds and plowed up an area and sowed a mix of seeds out in the back forty at the ranch. The little seedlings were growing and well and on their way to establishing themselves after the good rain and weather we've been having. I was so thrilled to see all those tender young leaves!!!

Notice I said "were"

- well, went out to check on them this weekend and found all the tender seedlings and sprouts eaten to the ground!!! Lots of deer tracks - guilty critters!

Oh well, we allowed the property to revert back to its native state and have been feeding the deer corn, sorghum and mineral/salt blocks because we want the deer to have a place of refuge (lots of hunters in the surrounding properties).

Sad to say...they've made themselves right and home and have obviously enjoyed themselves immensely - must've thought...what nice people...they even put in a salad bar for us!!!

However...they did not touch the zinnias???!!! Go figure. So now there is a small patch of zinna plants and there were at least two dozen butterflies on them :o) So am thinking I need to do some trades for bulk zinnia seeds :o)

Okay...so I need lots and lots of zinnia seeds - bulk amounts - in quart baggies or more. Any kind, any color - doesn't matter - they are all good for me - I don't mind chaff and will take complete seed heads if you're dead-heading your plants.

Am willing to pay for postage (via PayPal or personal check) if you have bulk amounts - if you don't want postage I can trade some plants and cuttings I have:

Green Shrimp Plant (Blechum browneii) rooted - larval host for the Malachite butterfly

Jasmine bush (Cestrum parquii) - fresh cuttings (supposed to be the larval host for the clearwing butterflies that stray over from Costa Rica)

Hoya obovata (rooted) - butterflies and moths enjoy the blossoms

Hoya - unknown - two kinds - fresh cuttings

Brugmansia white - fresh cuttings - good for sphinx moths

Brugmansia salmon - fresh cuttings - good for sphinx moths

Mexican Flame Vine (Senecio confusus) fresh cuttings - good nectar source

Sedum - not sure if it is texana - small yellow flowers - rooted

Crinum - pink (fresh bulbs)

Golden Pothos - huge leaves - fresh cuttings of stem with nodes - works great in shady areas - I have mine growing up two huge oak trees - they cover the trunk completely

Cherokee Bean aka Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea) seedlings about 5" tall

Yellow Orchid Vine aka Yellow Butterfly Vine (Mascagnia macroptera) fresh cuttings - perhaps with small roots forming

Plumeria white or pink (not sure which are which) - cuttings

Chalice vine - solandra grandiflora - rooted or fresh cuttings - be forewarned the rooted ones are big

* RARE* Yellow Morning Glory (Ipomoea ochracea) seeds

D-mail me if you have bulk amounts of zinnia seeds - by bulk am talking about a quart baggie full or more :o)

Here's a photo of what the deer left - the grass has grown again and needs to be re-tilled as well. One measely little patch of zinnia still proudly stands :o) I need lots more!!!

~ Cat


This message was edited Oct 26, 2008 7:24 PM

lemme go check my stash.... PLUS -- i have yet to 'pluck' the zinna heads... they are still in full bloom here.

**edited

well, i currently do not have many seeds.... tomorrow I'll go out and see what 'shape' the flower heads are in.
If you do not need them soon... i can get you a bunch.

This message was edited Oct 26, 2008 7:50 PM

The only seeds I can really do in bulk are Tropical milkweed. If you are unable to find a trades, I did buy some zinnia seed in bulk from Swallowtail gardens last year. They have mixes for around $7.00 for 10,000 seeds.
http://sc2.vom.com/cart/seeds/orderform.fwx?C=Z&P=1
Ebay also has bulk Zinnia seeds listed but not from anyone I know...
If you are needing some milkweed JLMK!
caren

Hi Cat, I do have lots, mostly orange, red and yellow, some purple. Half of the plants are still blooming here. I will try not to send the chaff. There is going to be lots more in a week or two. André

Hi Cat,
So sorry to hear of your lose.I have 8 store packages of seeds.They are from the Bentley Seed Company.I would love to have your ,Hoya obovata ,if you wouldn't mind.Let me know.

BUMP

Hi Cat,
Put a good bag in the mail today.Zinnias plus some others.
Good Luck!!!!

Hey Cat, I was keeping watch on the second batch of zinnias, but no luck. We had our first freeze last night and the seedlings look like wet spinach :0( I have seed stalks of a purple and coral porter weed. Would you like to try those?

Cat~I have many seeds from my Rock Rose I'd be happy to send you. It's a native, attracts bees and butterflies, and is deer resistant, so PF says. It reseeds like crazy!!

I will say that the seeds are from the last 2 summers. D-Mail me if you're interested!

Stephanie

Oops! Meant to post the Plant Files info for you!

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57756/

How dry does the flower need to be for the seed to be viable? I have zinnia still blooming....

When the flower starts to die pluck it off the plant & it should make a "pop"

then set them out to dry for about 2 weeks & they should just fall apart, usually, each flower head is loaded with seeds, or at least mine are.


Stephanie

Ok; I don't need to wait as long as I have been then; good.
Thank you.

Glad someone knew the answer :o) I've not grown them before...so this is a first.

I received some in trade earlier in the year...and that little patch the deer didn't eat has turned out to be a wonderful butterfly hotspot :o)

Here's a photo from today of a Mexican Fritillary on one :o)

~ Cat

Great-I love zinnias.

...and a Pipevine Swallowtail. There are always numerous Southern Dogfaces and a variety of skippers on them too. But it is nice to see the bigger butterflies on them. The plants are sturdy enough to hold the weight of the bigger butterflies without swaying or drooping down - good for getting photos!

~ Cat

hey cat, I have some showy zinnias and a huge bag of my mix...

Sounds great joeswife :o) my addy's in the member extras. Do let me know what you'd like in trade.

By the way...as you can see in the first post photo - that patch of zinnias is small but it really pulls in butterflies :o) I can only imagine what an acre of it could do!!!

~ Cat

debra
what is the plant (lavender star flowers) in the front of the zinnas.
diana

Diana, those are pentas, I love them, they are an annual here and I dead headed all of them this year and brough in three pots of them, I have all the colours I could find.. another good one I shoould send you that might be deer proff and good for a field.. tall showy evening primrose yellow.. I have bags of seeds.. the butterflys love them as well as hummers.. let me know..

Cat,
Let me know if you need anymore, I've got a gallon baggie almost full of heads I can send for postage. I-OH-U
A.

I don't have any zinnias but I do have seeds I collected from a flower that grows wild here. It blooms on a stalk that gets about 6 ft tall. It has a beautiful deep purple bloom that looks like a status. I have no idea what it is called. I'd be glad to send you some if you're interested. Don't have a pic on this computer.

Let me know if you still need zinnia seeds. I can send you at LEAST a gallon baggie full (including chaff).

its really weird... i had a lot of seed heads... but not many seed at all. I'm really surprised, and saddened.

I've got Purple Prince coming out my ears and I didn't even pull 1/4 of the seed heads. If Cat likes purple I've got her covered. LOL.

LOL LaLa

sounds like you have plenty.