California Native Plant Seeds -- Propagation begins!

I've been busy starting seeds! October is a good time to start a lot of seeds, except for the winter dormant ones -- the ones you have to stick in the fridge three months to convince them winter is over! Those are better done in Feb-March. I'm so happy! Some are already germinating!

I'll write more informative posts about all the stuff I'm starting by and by. This is just a seed-fest!

With the exception of the pipe vine - all seeds are of local California natives that grow on our around our property on a ridge about 6 miles inland from Santa Cruz.

Check out seeds of Aristolochia californica, Dutchman's pipe vine, which I blogged about in my last post - bagging the seed pods worked out great!

Aristolochia californica, Dutchman's pipe vine. My first time to try growing this one from seed.

Aristolochia californica, Dutchman's pipe vine seeds are so strange!.

Aristolochia californica, Dutchman's pipe vine seed - so strange I cut it up to check if it was a seed or just a husk. Also I checked in Jepson and it seems like yup it's a seed!

Speaking of propagation, I wrote an article for the Sentinel about propagation, as in who propagates the plants for the sale, as publicity for the Santa Cruz County chapter of CNPS and the UC Santa Cruz arboretum fall plant sales, which were today!

Aquilegia formosa, western columbine. This is an older photo - I just love how shiny the seeds are.

Iris fernaldii, Fernald's iris. Don't you love the look of those seeds?

Castilleja affinis or foliosa not sure. Paintbrush. Very tricky to propagate! My first time trying.

Symphyotrichum chilensis, California aster. Hard to clean! I didn't bother too much.

A tray of different lupines. Soaked overnight - boil water and let cool for a little bit - less than a minute maybe - then pour over seeds.

A lot of Carex species - sedges. I'm totally mixed up about them and am looking forward to using Jepson when they grow up to properly ID them. Maybe some are round-fruit sedge? Carex are noted as difficult to ID so I don't feel so bad!

Juncus patens I think, common rush. Lovely rust-red tiny seeds.

A gathering mystery. I totally forget what they are. Even the CNPS face book page folk didn't have much clue. Someone said it's Asteraceae family. We'll see - it's germinating like mad already. I hope it isn't a weed!

The lovely glossy leaves of hedge nettle, Stachys bullata, which is not a nettle. It's a mint and lovely. 

Madia seeds - either M. gracilis or M. elegans, I got a bit mixed up. I love these too - they are slightly speckled. 

Epilobium canum, California fuchsia, fluffy seeds packed into their slender capsules or pods or whatever the right name is. 

And this was the first seed out the gate!! - Lupinus arboreus, lavender color.