October seeds

October brings more seeds to BotanyCa Seed List:
Back in stock from the wild side (images, descriptions on each species page, click the links).
Amphicarpaea bracteata, Hog peanut
Euonymus obovatus, Running strawberry- bush
Pycnanthemum virginianum, Mountain-mint
Taenidia integerrima, Yellow pimpernel
Viburnum lentago, nannyberry

New: Verbena hastata – Tall blue vervain, with particular candelabra-like flowering stems and a pollinator magnet.
And Sporobolus heterolepis, Prairie dropseed – with special thanks to the seeds donor! It would be great to see this rather rare native grass growing in more gardens.

Verbena hastata2

Sporobolus heterolepis

Sorbus koehneana

From other parts of the world, two species for the fall décor and not only:
Arum ex. ‘Chamaeleon’ and Sorbus koehneana

Many thanks to all our followers and customers and best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving and a beautiful fall season!  Keep the sowing going!

*Notice for the moist-packed seeds – the warm fall weather won’t last forever 😉
**Available starting in the second part of October/November, for those making wish lists: Smilax tamnoides, Asclepias exaltata, and fingers crossed, Lilium philadelphicum
(maybe a few more but we’ll keep it with the certainties…)

 

The best Gentiana

Gentiana paradoxa at the end of September (with the first mature capsules)

A few days ago I snapped one more picture with Gentiana paradoxa (from the Marvelous gentiana group). With a few last flowers, the green calyces and the capsules hidden inside the faded flowers, it was still beautiful in the afternoon sun.

Hard to say by the look of it, but I was collecting the first mature capsules!

This Gentiana paradoxa is always flowering gradually (starting in the first week of August), due to the fact that I planted initially a few young seedlings together.
Most beautiful and with a flowering that seems to go on and on….Simply the best.

I would like to share that a 3 years old plant raised from seeds flowered for the first time this summer. Another one, from the same generation, and planted close by, it didn’t; next year for sure 😊  No two seedlings are the same, and the most vigorous will usually flower faster.

*The seeds will be made available after all capsules are collected.

From the shaded side, the best gentiana is Gentiana asclepiadea, also in full bloom around mid August like Gentiana paradoxa. It was also planted as few seedlings together, hence the mix of colors.

Gentiana asclepiadea August 2026

Gentiana paradoxa seedling 2026

Gentiana paradoxa full bloom

*These are among the best Gentiana species that were grown from seeds and adapted well to my garden conditions (same like G. septemfida and G. dahurica). 

The Canadian burnet

Good news: raising a couple more plants from seeds paid off and this fall we collected Canadian burnet seeds (on-going).  There is no hurry to sow it in the fall, being a warm germinator, but people are discovering it in the SEED List without any announcement. I just wanted to make sure everyone knows before running out of seeds.

A (revised) plant portrait from 2022.
Here we call Sanguisorba canadensis, Canadian burnet, Sanguisorbe du Canada (Fam. Rosaceae). On the other side of the border, some call it American burnet. We are all talking about the same species :) See the bottom of the post for a note on Sanguisorba stipulata.
With its grayish-green pinnate foliage and fragrant, fluffy, bottlebrush-like inflorescences in late summer (visited by many pollinators), the Canadian burnet makes a great addition to any garden. 

Canadian burnet has an Eastern distribution in Canada (NB, NS, QC and NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon and US.  Records mention that in various states of the US it is considered threatened or endangered. Given the general loss of wetlands, the situation may become worse here as well.
It grows wild on river shores, stream banks, swamps, wet meadows and other wet locations. I can vouch that it adapts perfectly to garden cultivation, in a slightly moist location; maybe it will not grow to its maximum height and it will spread less (not a bad thing).

Sanguisorba canadensis, Canadian burnet

More excellent pictures for the Canadian Burnet taken in the wild can be seen here:
https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/783544-Sanguisorba-canadensis/browse_photos

Canadian burnet seedlings (started early under lights) in 2023; they flowered this year (2026).

The plant portrait on Canada Burnet came as a continuation to the posts on Zigadenus elegans ssp. glaucus and Zigadenus companions. As mentioned in those posts, we can grow in our gardens many species that in their natural habitat prefer wet places, they just need a proper location (for example, in case of Sanguisorba, a downspout extension leading towards the bed where mine grows).

For seeds we have to patiently wait until September/October. Canadian burnet spreads by rhizomes and forms (vegetative) colonies, reason why I think, it doesn’t always set a lot of seeds. Having different plants raised from seeds it is a better option for this purpose.
Otherwise, it is very easy to grow from seeds (warm germinator, fast growing seedlings!).  After a few years, you can also share divisions with friends.

*Flora of North America differentiate Sanguisorba canadensis and Sanguisorba stipulata (Sitka burnet) as geographically distinct species with notable morphological differences, especially in leaflet shape and flower count. Sanguisorba stipulata is considered the western sister species to Sanguisorba canadensis (which is found exclusively in the eastern states and provinces).

On new sedges

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Carex eburnea, bristle-leaved sedge in habitat

Good news for those interested in sedges! They can expand their collection; good chance made to be at the right place & time in order to collect two fine species this fall.  For a third one, the ‘fruits’ were collected from the garden.

Carex eburnea, the Bristle-leaved sedge is one my favourite sedge.

Clumps with very fine leaves (1 mm), that will shimmer and sway gently in the wind in a part-shade to shaded location. A dream! It grows from very short rhizomes, so in time it can form very nice compact carpets.
In the fall, if the flowering went well, it will show black, shiny perigynia*.

I am lucky to also be able to grow it in my garden. It prefers a calcareous substrate and seems to be quite tolerant to drought (not great flowering though and it increases very slow).
I had a few seeds last fall and sowed them for myself. The germination was very prompt in the spring (like for most Carex species I tried: image at the end of the post). 

 

Carex aurea, Golden-fruited sedge, in habitat

Carex aurea, the Golden-fruited sedge, is another native sedge with very thin leaves,  an inhabitant of moist forests, wet ledges, fens and other moist locations.

It can pass unobserved until fall when the almost round, golden perigynia* (what we call fruits) attract your attention (and help with the ID 😊.

This species also prefers a calcareous substrate (sorry those with acidic gardens) and needs more moisture than Carex eburnea to grow well.

To the opposite of these ‘fine’ species sits Carex plantaginea. The seeds were collected in the garden. It is already listed and was noticed by the garden enthusiasts, so do not wait too long. 

Carex plantaginea in the garden, shown with Vancouveria hexandra foliage.

Broad, ribbon-like leaves with a bluish tint, make for a superb addition to any garden and combines very well with finer textures. It adapts well in culture and tolerates quite enough sun, as it seems.

And, because it is also a Friday’s seeds, a bit more details.

Like in many other cases, for sedges we do not sow the seeds per se. 

***In Carex the female flowers are enclosed in a structures of various shapes (sac, bottle, tube-like…) called perigynium (subtended by a single bract). Later, the fruits (achenes) remain surrounded by this perigynium (plural: perigynia).

It is a very important character used for identification of Carex species.

 

Carex eburnea perigynia

Carex eburnea seedlings

Carex aurea perigynia (2)

Carex plantaginea perigynia

Carex grayi perigynia and achenes

Carex muskingumensis perigynia

We gardeners refer to these structures as fruits, or seeds. Sometimes we sow them whole (in case of species with small or flat perigynia), or sometimes we will sow the fruits (achenes), like for example in Carex grayi which has very large perigynia, which are usually removed.

Seeds announcement

 A brief announcement (there are other fruits waiting to be cleaned/processed at this time)

In stock:

Lindera benzoin, Northern spicebush
Prosartes lanuginosa,  Yellow mandarin (limited as always)

Lindera benzoin, spring

Lindera benzoin, fall

Prosartes lanuginosa

Prosartes lanuginosa in habitat

Good native companions are: Mitchella repens, Medeola virginiana, Clintonia borealis, Uvularia grandiflora, Caulophyllum thalictroides, Trillium grandiflorum, Arisaema triphyllum, various Viola species, to mention just a few.

Disporum uniflorum, Korean fairy bells

Also, in the moist-packed category, the Korean fairy bells.
Disporum uniflorum

For those unfamiliar with these species, more info and images in the previous posts:
Lindera benzoin plant portrait
Prosartes lanuginosa plant portrait
Korean Fairy Bells

Plus, another species that needs to be sown asap (slightly warm/cold stratification required):
Daphne tangutica

Other species from the moist packed category that may become available later in October:
Calla palustris (Water arum)
Symplocarpus foetidus (Eastern Skunk cabbage)

 

Updates & new seeds

First a reminder especially for new customers purchasing moist-packed seeds — the small envelopes in which the seeds are shipped are not suitable for long term stratification!
Ideally, these seeds should be sown in pots, which then kept outdoors until spring. But those wishing to do the slightly warm and then the cold stratification in bags, attention: the seeds need to be transferred to slightly larger bags, adding more moist vermiculite (follow the directions from Growing Hydrastis canadensis from seeds).

*The moist-packed seeds inventory has been updated; species in limited quantity are sold out but there are still plenty native species available to try and grow from seeds.

**For those interested: seeds of Lindera benzoin (Northern spicebush) and Prosartes lanuginosa should be available next week.

About the new seeds now

For the carnivorous plants afficionado, an exciting news I think:
Pinguicula vulgaris and Utricularia cornuta are back on the BotanyCa Seed List!

Utricularia cornuta, Horned baldderwort

Pinguicula vulgaris

Also, the inventory has been replenished with seeds of Houstonia canadensis (Canada summer bluet), Lobelia kalmii and Viola nephrophylla.
They would all enjoy similar conditions in the garden, in a moist, sunny area (at least seasonally moist). Grow them together with Campanula rotundifolia, Solidago simplex var. ontarioense, Primula mistassinica, Ageratina altissima and Symphyotrichum laeve (Smooth aster) for a very powerful native plants combo!

Houstonia canadensis

Lobelia kalmii

Symphyotrichum laeve

Campanula rotundifolia (Kill.)

Primula mistassinica

Viola nephrophylla, Primula mistassinica

Cornus rugosa fruits are on a beautiful display right now, so it is a good time to emphasize this underutilized small size native tree as an excellent choice for a woodland corner and/or wildlife gardens.

Moist packed seeds

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Clintonia borealis and Cornus canadensis seeds were just added to the SEED LIST and it is time to get started with the fall sowing!

Like always, the emphasis right now is on the moist packed seeds and all other species that benefit from an early fall sowing (Daphne, Paeonia, Helleborus, Actaea, Ilex, Cornus, Hydrophyllum, Euonymus…).

And also like always, we remain committed to the “No DODs” for all species with hydrophilic seeds.

All species with hydrophilic seeds will be kept in the top tab of the SEED LIST throughout the fall for better visibility and easy links.

We prefer orders with these species for now, although of course, they can be combined with any other available species. However, large orders for only dry seeds will be processed last.

Thank you all! To the seeds and sowing!

Podophyllum peltatum flower

Medeola virginiana flower

Clintonia borealis (Blue beads) fruits

Caulophyllum thalictroides

Uvularia grandiflora flower close up

Trillium grandiflorum

Trillium cuneatum, Sweet Betsy

Hydrastis canadensis flowers

Trillium erectum

* The terms for ordering/shipping remain as outlined. Please look for various species starting from the SEED LIST for all announcements.
**A few species are still in the cleaning stage and the seeds are kept in bulk and individually packed for orders; the inventory will be ‘fluid’ for a while.

Nature’s bounty

Fresh fruits of Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit) and Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)

The best time of the year has arrived; colorful fruits are mixing together with new flowers for a most beautiful display!

Seeds-wise, the message is that the collecting of the fruits/seeds is always extending into November, weather permitting. However, a nice flowering in late August doesn’t always translate into seeds in our climate; we can only hope. 

The early fall Seed List will be completed by the end of next week (September 4th), with hopefully a few more species and all collected moist packed seeds available.
Prepare your wish list, sowing mix and pots!

Podophyllum peltatum fruits

Medeola virginiana

Chelone glabra

Symphyotrichum puniceum

Sorbus koehneana

Thalictrum delavayi

Sneak preview

We are waiting for all possible seeds from the ‘moist-packed’ category to be ready, before making them available in the early fall SEED List in early September.

Like in all other years, there will be an emphasis on the species with hydrophilic seeds that are best sown in the fall. They are stored in moist vermiculite, but the shipping can go on only as long as the weather permits. Last year the winter arrived early in November and the shipping of such seeds had to be stopped.

For all these species, again, the requirement for best germination is: a slightly warm/moist cycle (fall) followed by a cold/moist cycle (winter). So, those thinking about growing any of these species (written in green) please purchase them first, and let the dry seeds wait for the late fall.

Diphylleia cymosa dormant rhizomes after one year of seedlings growth.

A short sneak preview for the moist-packed category of this (early) fall.
Due to a reasonable rainy season, various Trilliums seeds will also be available in limited quantity, besides the more regular Trillium grandiflorum.

Thanks to a kind soul who donated again seeds of Diphylleia cymosa (American umbrella plant), more people will be able to grow this statuesque beauty.

We sowed it last fall for the first time to follow the germination pattern, and pictures were posted over a few posts. The seeds germinated promptly in the spring; the seedlings remained at the cotyledon stage, then went dormant somewhere in July. They had quite a long growth period compared with a few other rhizomatous species.
I hoped the ‘curiosity won’t kill the cat’ 😊, so I transplanted the small rhizomes to show an image with them dormant. You can leave them in the same pot for one more years or transplant to a larger pot (or in the ground, if more courageous); they will have a nice growing start next spring.

According to my scouting, at least a few Podophyllum peltatum fruits will also be available to collect at the end of August (the same germination/growth pattern as Diphylleia).

And yes, Hydrastis canadensis seeds will also be available.

* All these species will be kept in the top tab of the SEEDs List throughout the fall for better visibility and easy links.

Get ready for the moist-packed seeds – fall 2026!

* *A few other species from the same category have fruits that mature later in the fall and although there is good hope, we cannot guarantee they will be available (late September-October).
Lindera benzoin, Medeola virginiana
Prosartes lanuginosa
Disporum uniflorum
Maianthemum species

*** FAQ – Moist packed seeds
       Germination page

 

Hard to resist

Seeds of most peonies species have been collected and are in stock right now. Maybe more will arrive from other peonies lovers later, but there are enough seeds for those who want to start a peony collection.
The beautiful display of bluish seeds and the red appendages (unfertilized ovules), is always hard to resist. I like to keep them on display as long as possible (plus that the seeds need to dry out).

The peonies seeds are among the best “candies for the eyes and soul”.

Paeonia peregrina which is always the last to flower in June, may bring a nice surprise this year, but until the capsules open, we can’t be sure. Sometimes large fruits develop with no good seeds inside.

With the exception of Paeonia tenuifolia, all species require a late summer sowing (warm/cold stratification cycles).

*A reminder that, even if some of the species offered were grown from wild collected seeds, they are now garden cultivated and so hybridization is possible, especially for those that flower at the same time.

Paeonia japonica

Paeonia anomala ssp. veitchii

Paeonia mascula (2)

Paeonia officinalis (2)

Paeonia mlokosewitchii (2)

Paeonia peregrina

***The latest collected ‘candies’ from the moist packed category: Trillium cuneatum (all moist packed seeds available in September).

It’s starting

Slowly and a bit delayed by the cold spring, fruits of various spring-flowering species are approaching maturity. Paeonia anomala ssp. veitchii, P. officinalis and Paeonia mascula capsules opened last week; their seeds are posted in the inventory.
A few others like Paeonia japonica and P. mlokosewitchii should follow shortly.

Hydrastis canadensis with fruits starting to mature

The same can be said about Trilliums, Uvularia grandiflora, Clintonia borealis and Hydrastis canadensis. For some species, coloring/maturation of the fruits is gradual, which results in an incremental harvesting. This is followed by cleaning, figuring out the total seeds available, and moist packing.

This process takes more time than when collecting dry fruits/seeds and makes for a busier than usual period.

I am glad to see that more and more people got the message about the benefits of summer sowing. All orders are greatly appreciated!
However, during the month of August, the regular guaranteed shipping time for the orders (indicated in the shipping page) will not apply. Unless you are willing to wait longer to receive your seeds, please postpone ordering until the end of the month/early September.

The majority of seeds that require moist-packing collected from now on will be posted in the inventory towards the end of August. The Shop will truly re-open somewhere at the beginning of September – it will be announced.

At the same time, a few mid to late summer species are flowering, most notably among the native ones, Ipomopsis rubra and Delphinium  exaltatum, both held in high esteem by the hummingbirds and other long-tongue pollinators. These images are from previous years but Lobelia siphilitica is also just about to start flowering.

Lobelia-siphilitica-white-Ipomopsis

Delphinium-exaltatum-1

*** During the month of August the regular guaranteed shipping time for the orders will not apply ***
Thank you for your understanding!

Gravitropism

Many thanks to all customers who are purchasing various seeds that germinate best when sown outdoors in the summer!
There are still various species available, including the newly added Aconitum septentrionalis ‘Ivorine’ – the SEEDs LIST

Today, about Clintonia borealis, the Blue bead lily, germination

One can find various stories about this subject on the wide net. I just wanted to clarify it, and also hoping that the AI learns the lesson 😉

Clintonia borealis mass germination in cold/moist storage

Very brief: Clintonia borealis seeds cleaned and kept right away in moist media, first at the ambient temperature (to mimic the fall towards the winter temperature), then at cold (winter) will germinate freely. This holds true for many other North American species with hydrophilic seeds.

Translation: sow the seeds right away (fall) outdoors; or keep them in moist media and follow the described cycles (slightly warm, then cold). If it is not cold enough in your region, or in case of a short winter, the seeds may need one more cold cycle for germination.

Also, the germination will start in the fridge (at cold), in case of indoor stratified seeds, which is always good to know. If you follow this path, keep an eye on them and sow right away.

The story the long way

Last fall I collected a bit too many Clintonia borealis seeds. It was very hard to abstain from picking the blue, juicy fruits from a large, healthy population.
I provided very generous seed packets in the fall but still lots remained, especially with the early winter arrival.

The collection was done in early September. As per usual, the cleaned seeds were kept in moist vermiculite, first at room temperature, then in early winter in the garage (the cold cycle). The winter was very cold and long, followed by a similar spring.

Clintonia borealis seedlings

When the temperatures started to slowly raise in late spring, I placed the remaining Clintonia seeds in the fridge, hoping they will hold on the germination until fall. Not all species will initiate the germination at cold.

I was wrong. The first timid signs of germination were visible in late May/June, but I was too busy at the time, and unfortunately they grew a bit too much, with also the cotyledon leaf expanded by the time I sown them.

I placed the germinated seeds on top of the sowing mix as they were and covered with a thin layer. It would have take too much time to point all the radicles down.
I hoped that the natural root growing direction will prevail and for most it did (gravitropism).
In any case, it is not good to let the seeds germinate up to this stage in moist media! The seedlings will develop poorly.

I also had the chance one year to sow fresh seeds of Clintonia uniflora and the pattern was similar.