As part of the prairie and oak savanna restoration we are
carrying out at Pleasant Valley Conservancy, we have been
reseeding areas that have been cleared of undesirable vegetation.
All reseeding has been with locally collected seeds. The seed
collecting dates presented here are based on a five-year record.
For species that we have not collected, we have obtained dates
from other sources, such as the Dane County Parks Department
and the Madison Audubon Society.
The dates must be considered only a guide.
There is considerable year-to-year variability in seed maturation
dates, due to variation in weather. There is also site-to-site
variability, depending on soil, sun, and competition. The
table provides a range of dates when seed collecting might
be profitable.
It should be emphasized that considerable
experience is needed when deciding if seeds of a given species
are ripe. Populations of desired species should be located
well ahead of time, while still in flower, and assessed frequently
for ripeness. Using our table as a guide, check the seeds
early and, if possible, continue checking at half-weekly intervals
(weekly intervals at the longest). Maturity should be checked
carefully with a fingernail and in some cases with a hand
lens.
Some species retain mature seeds for long
periods of time, whereas others lose their seeds quickly.
The ideal situation for the novice is to work in the field
with experienced seed collectors. Volunteering for seed collecting
activities with groups that have a lot of experience, such
as Madison Audubon Society, Dane County Parks, and the Prairie
Enthusiasts, is highly recommended.
Seed
collecting dates |
Latin name |
Common name |
Late
May |
Anemone patens |
Pasque flower |
Late
May |
Erigeron pulchellus |
Robin's plantain |
Late
May |
Geum triflorum |
Prairie smoke |
Late
May-Early June |
Antennaria neglecta |
Field pussytoes |
Late
May-Early June |
Antennaria plantaginifolia |
Plantain-leaved pussytoes |
Late
May-Early June |
Packera (Senecio) plattensis |
Prairie ragwort |
Late
May-Mid June |
Viola pedata |
Bird's foot violet |
Early
June |
Oxalis violacea |
Violet wood-sorrel |
Early
June |
Sanguinaria canadensis |
Blood root |
Early-Mid
June |
Pedicularis canadensis |
Wood betony |
Early-Late
June |
Thalictrum dioicum |
Early meadow-rue |
Mid
June |
Ranunculus abortivus |
Small-flowered buttercup |
Mid
June |
Saxifraga pensylvanica |
Swamp saxifrage |
Mid
June |
Scheuchzeria palustris |
Arrow grass |
Mid
June |
Sisyrinchium angustifolium |
Narrow-leaved blue-eyed
grass |
Mid
June |
Viola canadensis |
Tall white violet |
Mid
June-Early July |
Scutellaria sp |
Skullcap |
Mid
June-Early July |
Sisyrinchium campestre |
Blue-eyed grass |
Mid
June-Mid July |
Aquilegia canadensis |
Wild columbine |
Mid-Late
June |
Geranium maculatum |
Wild geranium |
Mid-Late
June |
Heuchera richardsonii |
Prairie alum-root |
Mid-Late
June |
Lupinus perennis |
Wild lupine |
Mid-Late
June |
Packera (Senecio) pauperculus |
Balsam ragwort |
Mid-Late
June |
Stipa spartea |
Needle grass |
Late
June-Early July |
Krigia biflora |
False dandelion (Cynthia) |
Late
June-Early July |
Polemonium reptans |
Jacob's ladder |
Late
June-Early July |
Polygala senega |
Seneca snakeroot |
Late
June-Mid July |
Lithospermum incisum |
Fringed puccoon |
All
July |
Angelica atropurpurea |
Great angelica |
Early
July |
Allium canadense |
Wild garlic |
Early
July |
Camassia scilloides |
Wild hyacinth |
Early
July |
Ceanothus herbaceous |
Inland New Jersey tea |
Early
July |
Comandra umbellata |
False toadflax |
Early
July |
Helianthemum bicknellii |
Bicknell's rock rose |
Early
July |
Panicum latifolium |
Broad-leaved panic grass |
Early-Mid
July |
Tradescantia ohiensis |
Common spiderwort |
Early-Mid
July |
Pediomelum esculentum |
Pomme-de-prairie |
Mid
July |
Blephilia ciliata |
Downy wood mint |
Mid
July |
Carex pensylvanica |
Pennsylvania sedge |
Mid
July |
Carex rosea |
Sedge |
Mid
July |
Phlox pilosa |
Downy phlox |
Mid
July-Early August |
Actaea rubra |
Red baneberry |
Mid
July-Early August |
Lobelia spicata |
Pale spiked lobelia |
Mid
July-Late August |
Osmorhiza longistylis |
Smooth sweet cicely |
Late
July |
Castilleja coccinea |
Indian paintbrush |
Late
July |
Castilleja sessiliflora |
Downy paintbrush |
Late
July |
Helianthemum canadense |
Rock rose |
Late
July-Early August |
Taenidia integerrima |
Yellow pimpernel |
Late
July-Mid September |
Arabis canadensis |
Sickle pod |
Late
July-Mid September |
Bromus kalmii |
Kalm's brome |
Late
July-Mid September |
Elymus villosus |
Silky wild rye |
July-Early
August |
Dodecatheon meadia |
Shooting star |
All
August |
Bromus ciliatus |
Fringed brome |
All
August |
Elymus hystrix |
Bottlebrush grass |
All
August |
Koeleria macrantha |
June grass |
Early
August |
Anemone canadensis |
Meadow anemone |
Early
August |
Cicuta maculata |
Water-hemlock |
Early
August |
Festuca subverticillata |
Nodding fescue |
Early
August |
Galium boreale |
Northern bedstraw |
Early
August |
Heliopsis helianthoides |
False sunflower (ox-eye) |
Early
August |
Hieracium longipilum |
Hairy hawkweed |
Early
August |
Lathyrus venosus |
Veiny pea |
Early
August |
Lithospermum canescens |
Hoary puccoon |
Early
August |
Opuntia humifusa |
Prickly-pear cactus |
Early
August |
Penstemon grandiflorus |
Large bear-tongue |
Early
August |
Scrophularia marilandica |
Late figwort |
Early
August |
Zigadenus elegans glaucus |
White camas lily |
Early
August |
Zizia aptera |
Heart-leaved golden alexander |
August-Early
September |
Agrimonia gryposepala |
Tall agrimony |
August-Mid
September |
Desmodium glutinosum |
Pointed tick-trefoil |
Early
August-Early September |
Desmodium illinoense |
Illinois tick-trefoil |
Early
August-Mid September |
Thalictrum dasycarpum |
Purple meadow-rue |
Early
August-Mid September |
Zizia aurea |
Golden Alexander |
Mid
August |
Bouteloua hirsuta |
Hairy grama |
Mid
August |
Geum canadense |
White avens |
Mid
August |
Potentilla argentea |
Silvery cinquefoil |
Mid
August |
Spartina pectinata |
Prairie cord grass |
Mid
August-Early October |
Bouteloua curtipendula |
Side oats grama |
Mid
August-Early October |
Potentilla arguta |
Prairie cinquefoil |
Mid
August-Early September |
Actaea alba |
White baneberry |
Mid
August-Early September |
Baptisia alba |
White wild indigo |
Mid
August-Early September |
Cryptotaenia canadensis |
Honewort |
Mid
August-Mid October |
Oenothera biennis |
Common evening-primrose |
Mid
August-Mid October |
Polygonatum biflorum |
Smooth Solomon's seal |
Mid
August-Mid September |
Campanula rotundifolia |
Harebell |
Mid
August-Mid September |
Euphorbia corollata |
Flowering spurge |
Mid
August-Late October |
Linum medium texanum |
Small yellow flax |
Mid
August-Late October |
Smilacina racemosa |
False Solomon's seal |
Mid
August-Late September |
Monarda fistulosa |
Wild bergamot |
Mid
August-Late September |
Phryma leptostachya |
Lopseed |
Late
August |
Eragrostis spectabilis |
Purple Lovegrass |
Late
August- Early October |
Elymus riparius |
Woodland rye |
Late
August-Early October |
Anemone cylindrica |
Thimbleweed |
Late
August-Early October |
Bromus altissimus |
Woodland brome |
Late
August-Early October |
Panicum virgatum |
Switch grass |
Late
August-Early October |
Parthenium integrifolium |
Wild quinine |
Late
August-Mid September |
Cirsium muticum |
Swamp thistle |
Late
August-Mid September |
Napaea dioica |
Glade mallow |
Late
August-Mid September |
Polygala sp |
Milkwort |
Late
August-Mid September |
Teucrium canadense |
Germander |
Late
August-Late September |
Silphium perfoliatum |
Cup plant |
Late
August-Late September |
Sporobolus heterolepis |
Prairie dropseed |
Late
August-Late September |
Verbena hastata |
Blue vervain |
Late
August-Late September |
Verbena urticifolia |
White vervain |
Late
August-Late September |
Veronicastrum virginicum |
Culver's root |
Late
August-October |
Anemone virginiana |
Tall anemone |
Late
August-October |
Hieracium kalmii |
Canada hawkweed |
Late
August-September |
Allium cernuum |
Nodding wild onion |
Late
August-September |
Amorpha canescens |
Lead-plant |
Late
August-September |
Dalea candida |
White prairie clover |
Late
August-September |
Dalea purpureum |
Purple prairie clover |
Late
August-September |
Desmodium canadense |
Showy tick-trefoil |
Late
September-October |
Agastache nepetoides |
Yellow giant hyssop |
All
September |
Arisaema triphyllum |
Jack-in-the-pulpit |
All
September |
Arnoglossum atriplicifolium |
Pale Indian-plantain |
All
September |
Astragalus canadensis |
Milk vetch |
All
September |
Goodyera sp |
Rattlesnake plantain |
All
September |
Kuhnia eupatorioides |
False boneset |
Early
September |
Agastache foeniculum |
Blue giant hyssop |
Early
September |
Baptisia bracteata |
Cream wild indigo |
Early
September |
Chamaecrista fasciculata |
Golden cassia |
Early
September |
Echinacea pallida |
Pale purple coneflower |
Early
September |
Elymus canadensis |
Canada wild rye |
Early
September |
Helianthus strumosus |
Woodland sunflower |
Early
September |
Lactuca canadensis |
Wild lettuce |
Early
September |
Polygonum virginianum |
Woodland knotweed |
Early
September |
Polytaenia nuttallii |
Prairie parsley |
Early
September-Early October |
Eupatorium maculatum |
Spotted Joe-Pye-weed |
Early
September-Early October |
Eupatorium perfoliatum |
Common boneset |
Early
September-Early October |
Verbena stricta |
Hoary vervain |
Early
September-Mid October |
Silphium integrifolium |
Rosinweed |
Early
September-Late October |
Pycnanthemum virginianum |
Common mountain mint |
Early-Mid
September |
Silphium terebinthinaceum |
Prairie dock |
Early-Mid
September |
Tephrosia virginiana |
Goat's-rue |
Early-Late
September |
Silphium laciniatum |
Compass plant |
Mid
September |
Aralia racemosa |
Spikenard |
Mid
September |
Carex bicknellii |
Bicknell's sedge |
Mid
September |
Gaura biennis |
Gaura |
Mid
September |
Monarda punctata |
Dotted horsemint |
Mid
September |
Panax quinquefolium |
Ginseng |
Mid
September |
Phlox glaberrima |
Smooth phlox |
Mid
September |
Physalis virginiana |
Ground cherry |
Mid
September-Early October |
Eryngium yuccifolium |
Rattlesnake master |
Mid
September-Early October |
Liatris aspera |
Rough blazing star |
Mid
September-Early October |
Liatris cylindracea |
Dwarf blazing star |
Mid
September-Early October |
Liatris pycnostachya |
Prairie blazing star |
Mid
September-Mid October |
Lobelia siphilitica |
Great blue lobelia |
Mid
September-Mid October |
Rosa sp. |
Rose |
Mid
September-Mid October |
Rudbeckia hirta |
Black-eyed Susan |
Mid
September-Mid October |
Sorghastrum nutans |
Indian grass |
Mid
September-Late October |
Solidago ptarmacoides |
Stiff aster |
Mid
September-Late October |
Triosteum perfoliatum |
Early horse gentian |
Mid-Late
September |
Asclepias verticillata |
Whorled milkweed |
Mid-Late
September |
Asclepias viridiflora |
Short green milkweed |
Mid-Late
September |
Eupatorium purpureum |
Purple joe-pye weed |
Mid-Late
September |
Gnaphalium obtusifolium |
Old field balsam |
Mid-Late
September |
Lysimachia ciliata |
Fringed loosestrife |
Mid-September |
Amphicarpaea bracteata |
Hog peanut |
Mid-September |
Apocynum cannabinum |
Hemp-dogbane |
Mid-September |
Pyrola sp |
Shinleaf |
Late
September |
Asclepias incarnata |
Swamp milkweed |
Late
September |
Cirsium altissimum |
Woodland thistle |
Late
September |
Cirsium discolor |
Pasture thistle |
Late
September |
Hasteola suaveolens |
Sweet Indian plantain |
Late
September |
Helianthus occidentalis |
Naked-stemmed sunflower |
Late
September |
Helianthus pauciflorus |
Prairie sunflower |
Late
September |
Campanula americana |
Tall bellflower |
Late
September-Early October |
Eupatorium sessilifolium |
Woodland boneset |
Late
September-Early October |
Helianthus grosseserratus |
Saw-toothed sunflower |
Late
September-Mid October |
Vernonia fasciculata |
Common ironweed |
Late
September-Late October |
Prenanthes alba |
Lion's foot |
Late
September-Late October |
Schizachyrium scoparium |
Little bluestem |
Late
September-October |
Andropogon gerardii |
Big bluestem |
Late
September-October |
Asclepias syriaca |
Common milkweed |
Late
September-October |
Asclepias tuberosa |
Butterfly weed |
Late
September-October |
Aureolaria grandiflora |
Yellow false foxglove |
Late
September-October |
Chelone glabra |
Turtlehead |
Late
September-October |
Coreopsis palmata |
Prairie tickseed |
Late
September-October |
Gentiana andrewsii |
Bottle gentian |
Late
September-October |
Helenium autumnale |
Sneezeweed |
Late
September-October |
Hypericum pyramidatum |
Great St. John's wort |
September-Early
October |
Lespedeza capitata |
Round-headed bush clover |
September-Early
October |
Ratibida pinnata |
Yellow coneflower |
September-Mid
October |
Ceanothus americanus |
New Jersey tea |
All
October |
Asclepias exaltata |
Poke milkweed |
All
October |
Cypripedium calceolus pubescens |
Large yellow lady-slipper |
All
October |
Lilium michiganense |
Turk's cap lily |
All
October |
Lobelia cardinalis |
Cardinal flower |
All
October |
Pedicularis lanceolata |
Swamp betony (lousewort) |
All
October |
Rudbeckia triloba |
Brown-eyed Susan |
Early
October |
Asclepias purpurascens |
Purple milkweed |
Early
October |
Eupatorium altissimum |
Upland boneset |
Early
October |
Smilax herbacea herbacea |
Carrion flower |
Early
October |
Viburnum prunifolium |
Black haw |
Mid
October |
Bidens sp |
Beggar's tick |
Mid
October |
Euthamia graminifolia |
Grass-leaved goldenrod |
Mid
October |
Liatris spicata |
Dense gay-feather |
Mid
October |
Prenanthes crepidinea |
Great white-lettuce |
Mid
October-Early November |
Solidago nemoralis |
Old-field goldenrod (grey;
dye |
Mid-Late
October |
Aster novae-angliae |
New England aster |
Mid-Late
October |
Aster oolentangiensis |
Sky-blue aster |
Mid-Late
October |
Aster puniceus |
Swamp aster |
Mid-Late
October |
Aster sagittifolius |
Arrow-leaved aster |
Mid-Late
October |
Aster sericeus |
Silky aster |
Mid-Late
October |
Lilium philadelphicum |
Wood lily |
Mid-Late
October |
Solidago rigida |
Stiff goldenrod |
Mid-Late
October |
Gentianella quinquefolia |
Stiff gentian |
Late
October |
Aster ericoides |
Heath aster |
Late
October |
Aster laevis |
Smooth blue aster |
Late
October-Early November |
Aster lateriflorus |
Side flowering aster |
Late
October-Early November |
Elymus virginicus |
Virginia wild rye |
Late
October-Early November |
Solidago flexicaulis |
Zig zag goldenrod |
October |
Solidago juncea |
Early goldenrod |
October |
Solidago missouriensis |
Missouri goldenrod |
October-Early
November |
Solidago speciosa |
Showy goldenrod |
October-Early
November |
Solidago ulmifolia |
Elm-leaved goldenrod |
Early
November |
Gentiana alba |
Cream gentian |
Early
November |
Lobelia inflata |
Indian tobacco |