NPSOT Austin has decided to dissolve it’s Seed Exchange Program and donate the seed collection to other organizations that are better equipped to collect, store, and distribute the seeds. The following groups are recommended if you are looking to donate or find seeds:
Seeds & Sustainability: Central Library Seed Collection
TIPS FOR GROWING WILD PLANTS FROM SEED
IF YOU HAVE NOT TRIED TO GROW WILD PLANTS FROM SEEDS BEFORE, you need to understand that getting the seeds to germinate can be complicated. Some people think that because these are wild plants, you should be able to grow them by simply throwing some seeds out of the back door. Unfortunately you are very unlikely to get plants from any of these seeds unless your start them in small individual containers. It is true that nature distributes seeds randomly, but plants produce vast quantities of seeds and we are not able to get or store seeds in those quantities. Nature uses many complex processes to distribute the seeds and delay germination, so a few bad seasons will not wipe out a species. Researchers and growers have found procedures that obtain reasonable rates of germination for many of our native plants, and many of these procedures are described in the book “How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest” by Jill Nokes.
Before you plant your seeds it would be a good idea to see the Nokes book for advice on that species. Most seeds require some kind of special treatment. If you want seeds for a plant that is relatively easy to germinate, we would suggest: Texas mountain laurel, Mexican buckeye, red yucca, Anacacho orchid tree… Most perennials and woody plants need to be well-established in containers before they are transplanted to the soil. The visible portion of the plant may grow slowly while it produces a large root system (and after being transplanted most plants are likely to need some watering if they are going to survive through the first summer).
Chapter 2 of Jill Nokes’ book has excellent information on collecting seeds. When collecting from a wild population of plants, never take the entire seed production for the year. And please remember that it is illegal to collect seed or plants from Parks and Wildlife Preserves, and private land without permission.