Liz Lonsdale of the Maxey Nature Recovery group explains how you can gather seeds
Seedheads
When plants have finished flowering, they usually produce some sort of seed to ensure the continuation of the species. The seeds may be held in seedheads, fruits, or seed pods. It is an advantage for the seeds to disperse away from the parent plant – they don’t compete for resources (nutrients, light and water) and they can colonise other areas.
There are lots of ways that the seeds are distributed:
- By wind: Some seeds are shaped to float, glide or spin through the air e.g. Dandelion parachutes, Sycamore keys. Some have fluffy hairs that catch the wind e.g. Clover.
- Eaten: By birds and other animals e.g. Blackberries, Rosehips.
- Buried: By squirrels e.g. Walnuts, Acorns.
- Explosion: Out of dried pods e.g. Himalayan Balsam, Violets.
- Hitching a lift: Attach to fur or feathers – Burdock, Cleavers, Mistletoe.
- Floating: Drop into streams and drift away – Water Lilies, Birch, Willow, Coconuts!
Clover seeds with fluffy hairs Maple Winged pod Dandelion seedhead
Birds often extract the seeds before they have time to disperse. Look out for Goldfinches working their way round Teasel heads to remove the seeds from between the spikes.
If you have space, leave some plants with seedheads over the winter.
Apart from feeding birds and maybe small mammals, the heads can provide shelter for insects. Suitable plants are Echinacea, Honesty, Knapweed, Miscanthus, Rudbeckia, Sea Holly and Sedum. They can look stunning covered in frost on a sunny winter’s morning.
Teasel Poppy Wild Carrot