Donate seeds

Your donation matters!

In 2020-21, we provided seeds to 150 individuals, two school projects for a total of 800 seed envelopes, resulting ins a minimum of 4 000 new native plants

In 2021-22, we held 7 cross-city events and mailed seeds to approximately 200 different households, cottages, as well as schools, scout, church and hospice projects, which will result in a minimum of 22 500 new native plants (115 different species)

Help us continue to provide habitat corridors for our wildlife and donate your native plant seeds!

genetics integrity and diversity

Importance of genetics integrity and diversity

Protecting the integrity and diversity of our local plants is part of the mission of the Seed Library. This is critical because:

"Plant materials that are not genetically suited to conditions of a planting site may cause the project to fail outright or not be sustainable over time
Poorly adapted plants may even negatively affect neighboring populations of the same species if they contribute pollen or seeds to them
Ensuring genetics diversity is also important because it can strongly influence the long-term viability of plant populations, and their ability to adapt to changing climatic and environmental conditions
Plant materials that lack genetic diversity may be more susceptible to pathogens and other environmental stresses, and less competitive with exotic invasive species

Overall, the use of genetically inappropriate plant materials can have unanticipated and cascading negative effects throughout the ecosystem"(1).

Cultivar v. straight plants

A cultivar is a plant that human beings have selected for particular desirable characteristics. Cultivar is short for "cultivated variety". A cultivar can be bred intentionally by human beings, by cross-breeding two species, for example. Or, a cultivar can be a wild plant that we select and propagate because it has certain desirable traits. Cultivars are usually propagated by cuttings or division. As a result, cultivars are typically genetic clones of the parent plant. If a plant has a unique trade name, like 'Blue Fortune', it's usually a cultivar. A plant that has a single "x" in its scientific name, like Monarda x hybrida 'Bergamo', is a type of cultivar called a hybrid.

A plant is said to be "of the straight species" when it occurs naturally and has not been selected by human beings for any particular traits. Straight species can have natural variations in their traits. For example, bloodroot is usually white, but pink varieties can also be found in the wild.

The Library only accepts plants that are straight species. If you are not sure if your plant comes from a cultivar or not, or if there is a possibility that the seeds have mixed with cultivars, please do not donate.

COLLECTION

Please read the following instructions before collecting seeds:

Make sure your seeds are native to Ontario or Québec by confirming in the Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN) Here is a good video made by Sundaura Alford-Purvis.
Make sure that the seeds have not been cross-pollinated with cultivars either within your garden or your immediate neighbours (when possible). When in doubt, do not donate the seeds
Confirm on the Prairie Moon Nursery website that the seeds can be stored at room temperature. Some seeds must be kept refrigerated until they are sown: in those cases, it's best to grow and donate seedlings rather than the seeds themselves
When ready for harvest, seeds or pods are typically brown and dry or their little parachutes have opened
It is best to wait until the plants start releasing their seeds before harvesting. Collecting too soon will decrease germination rates
Preserve genetic diversity by collecting from multiple plants from the same species
Do not collect all seeds, leave some for the wildlife
We encourage you to only submit seeds that you collected from your personal garden so we do not deplete our natural environment
If you are harvesting seeds in nature, do not collect from the first group of plants you see, do not collect more than 10% of them, and ensure that you collect from multiple plants and not just a single big one. Please read the following Ethical guidelines before proceeding
You can take a ziploc bag, put it on top of the head of the flower, and shake the seeds off. If it is not possible, you can simply cut the head of the flower off and put it in a bag
Once you get home, it is best to let the air seeds dry for a few days outside the bag before processing them
Let seeds dry naturally, do not use a dehydrator. If you intend to store them for a long time, we recommend drying them for at least three months
Write the name and the year of harvest, and then store in paper bag (not plastic) in a cold, dry, dark space until you make your donation
For longer-term preservation, keep them in a colder, dry environment without temperature fluctuation, such as a fridge, in air tight containers so that it does not absorb moisture

Watch presentations by Tim Alamenciak and by Bob Wildfong (Seeds of Diversity) to get an overview of the process of collecting, storing and growing native plants.

Need help harvesting? Please contact us

DONATION

Please read the following instructions before donating seeds:

Only donate seeds from the Library, the wild or a nursery that specializes in native plants, the wild or the Library. Trusted nurseries disclose where their seeds come from. When in doubt or if this information is not available, do not donate the seeds
Make sure your seeds are native to Ontario or Québec by confirming in the Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN)
Do not donate genetically modified, cross-pollinated or inbred species
Prevent contamination by ensuring that your seeds are disease and mold free
Download and fill in this form and submit it to the Library before or during the Seed Exchange Event
Put 30 to 50 seeds in each envelope
Print and put the appropriate labels front and back.
Any paper envelope format is welcomed. Coin-sized envelopes or smaller s typically the commercial format used. Everyday Details provides a good method to make envelopes.

Have questions? Please contact us