Deeply Rooted in Native Seed Collecting

Join Marlene Smith, President of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, to learn the tips and tricks of the trade for harvesting, cleaning, and storing native plant seeds. Harvesting seeds is fun and easy, but beware, it can also become addicting. Topics covered include:
• Ethical collection guidelines
• Identifying source plants
• Recognizing when seeds are ready (learn the difference between “time sensitive” seeds and “Mama’s Boys”)
• Harvesting, drying, cleaning, and storing seeds
Marlene is also a University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener and Xerces Ambassador. She has been working since 2021 to convert her lawn from a typical monoculture lawn to a vibrant habitat full of native flora and fauna. She has reduced her 15,000 square foot lawn to less than 4,000 square feet, with most plants grown from seeds that she collected and germinated herself.

This presentation was given virtually and co-sponsored by Wild Ones Greater Baltimore and Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay.