The fruit of the Tuckeroo Cupaniopsis anacardioides is a leathery capsule that splits along sutures between lobes to reveal three seeds. Fruit is up to 30 mm long, seeds 10-12 mm long. PHOTO: Martin LaBar CC BY-NC 2.0

For more information please refer to other SOWN pages on seed collecting and propagation:

• Becoming a seed collector including tips for collecting
• Seed collection calendar
• Collecting and processing Lomandra seeds
• Plants to Plant

SEED COLLECTING AND PROPAGATION

This page outlines broad information on seed collecting and plant propagation. For information on individual plant species, please go to the relevant Plants to Plant entry.

Seed collecting

SOWN encourages members to collect native seeds from the Enoggera catchment for propagation at the SOWN Nursery. SOWN Nursery recommends reading the Florabank Guidelines for Native Seed Collection Methods and the book Australian Rainforest Seeds: A Guide to Collecting, Processing and Propagation by Mark Dunphy et al, CSIRO Publishing, 2020. A copy is available at the SOWN Nursery.

Skills required

To be a seed collector, it helps to have some knowledge of local native plants. Most SOWN seed collectors fit into one or more of these categories:

• SOWN Nursery volunteer
• Regular volunteer at a Habitat Brisbane site
• Keen gardener with an interest in local native plants

Understanding what is a seed

The expression “seed collecting” usually involves gathering the “fruit” which is the part of the plant which contains the seed or seeds. In botany “fruit” means many things such as the leathery fruit with a single seed like a Blue Quandong Elaeocarpus grandis to the hard woody pods with multiple seeds like a Black Bean Castanospermum australe. The Plants to Plant section of this web site contains photos and information about the fruits and seeds of most of our important local plants.

Blue Quandong Elaeocarpus grandis has a single seed inside a blue fruit. Fruit are 18-30 mm in diameter. It can be collected from the ground. Collect last year’s crop after it has started to decompose. PHOTO: Merryjack CC BY 3.0

Knowing when to collect

The main fruiting time is late spring, summer and early autumn. In the pioneer stage plants tend to fruit every year, approaching maturity they fruit every 1 to 3 years, when fully mature fruiting times vary from 1 to 5 years or more. Please refer to the Seed collection calendar for a month-by-month guide to key plants propagated at the SOWN Nursery.

The key issue for seed collectors is to gather the seed when the fruit is mature. Australian Rainforest Seeds lists these signs of maturity:

• dropping from the tree
• birds or other animals are eating it
• brighty coloured
• soft
• plum or puffy
• fragrant
• open pod, capsule or follicle
• drying out, becomng woody.

Where to collect

SOWN encourages seed collectors to collect in the Enoggera catchment. Seeds should be collected from members’ own land or with the landholder’s permission. SOWN has permission to collect some native seeds from land managed by Brisbane City Council under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the Code of Practice for the Taking and Use of Protected Plants. In practice, this refers to Habitat Brisbane sites being managed by community volunteers. All seed collection must be carried out legally. SOWN advises against collecting from roadsides.

Brown pod of Black Bean Castanospermum australe just beginning to open to reveal the large brown seeds. The seeds are about the size of a golf ball 30-50 mm long and 30-40 mm wide. Pods hold 1-6 seeds. Fruits May to August. Very easy to collect and propagate. A good place to start. There are large trees that fruit prolifically at Walton Bridge Reserve. Before collecting, check with the SOWN Nursery first to make sure they are required. PHOTO: Anne Jones

Equipment required

• Secateurs or loppers
• Rake
• Small buckets or containers with lids
• Paper bags
• Marker pens

SOWN can provide equipment for gathering seed from tall branches if needed. Volunteers are advised not to use ladders or climb trees. If you are collecting from several different plants on the same day, label bags or containers as soon as possible with species, location and date to avoid getting them mixed up.

How much to collect

Never take more than 20 per cent of the available fruit from each individual plant. Where possible collect from several different parent plants  well spaced out. Also consider the condition of the parent plant and collect from healthy specimens, taking fruit from different parts of the plant.

If collecting seed from the ground try to ensure the fruit is as fresh as possible. Use a rake to gather, then sort the fruit. Immerse fallen fruit in water for 24 hours to kill insects and larvae.

Where to deliver the seeds

Place the seeds in a paper bag or envelope, clearly labelled with:

• Scientific name of the plant
• Common name of the plant
• Location where the plant was collected
• Date of collection
• Name of the collector

If you are unsure of the identity of the plant bring in the seed along with a small branch with at least four sets of leaves. You still need to label the seed with the location, date and name of the collector.

Deliver the seed to the SOWN Nursery during opening hours Saturday 9.00 am – 11.00 am and Wednesday 9.00 am – 12.30 pm. Leave the seed on the propagation desk which is in the shed near the refrigerator.

Plant propagation