Collecting Native Plant Propagules

Sources

Contents

Learning Objectives

Narrative

There are many ways to get native plant propagules, and we will discuss a number of them here, starting with the most local, and thus preferred, option and expanding outward.
Onsite
The ideal source of native plant propagules is the same site where they will be planted. You can't get more local than that! Plants onsite are already adapted to the local environment and have the best chance of survival after propagation. You can visit the collection site often to determine the optimal time of collection. Best of all, you don't have to ask permission to collect! If you are too busy or not able to collect yourself, consider hiring help - this also supports your local economy.
The assumption here is that you have native plants of local provenance existing on the site. Don't assume that a plant that grows wild throughout your area is native. There are many non-native invasive plants that fit this description and they do NOT need any encouragement. Many Californians mistake Scotch or French broom, pampas grass, Himalayan blackberry and eucalyptus for native plants. For brooms, "Scotch" or "French" says it all. The pampas is in South America. Himalayan blackberry is actually from Armenian, but in any case it is not native. Koalas eat eucalyptus - have you seen any in your neighborhood lately?
Neighbors and Friends
If you don't have the desired species onsite, or there is not enough of it to meet the project goals, then you must look farther afield. Start with your neighbors. If you don't know them well, this can be a wonderful opportunity to develop community. Reassure them that you will obey their wishes about site access and won't harvest enough to diminish their plant population; the accepted rule-of-thumb is to collect no more than one-third of the seed. In the case of cuttings or transplants, the fraction should be much less. You might develop a cooperative project where you share the propagated plants.
If there are no plants of the desired species on nearby properties, you might want to review your selection criteria to make sure you have picked species that will do well on your site. See the vegetation series topic in the Planning module for more information. If your site is in an area of current or historical intensive management, such as agricultural or urban areas, then the species you have selected may well have been extirpated from the neighborhood. In this case, you have no choice but to consider sources of non-local provenance. Try to select a source with as much in common with your planting site as possible. Like-minded friends are an excellent resource.
Community Organizations
Your local Native Plant Society chapter will have a lot of information on the location of local native plant populations, and will probably be able to supply you with contact information for the property owner if these are on private lands.
Public Lands
Some public lands allow collection, others do not. California State Parks do not allow collection; National Forests and BLM generally do allow collection of limited quantities. On BLM land, it is considered acceptable to collect up to a few ounces of seed for personal use, provided that you limit your collecting to no more than 10% of the seed in the population. For larger projects or commercial use, please contact your local BLM office to apply for a permit. For National Forests, contact the local District headquarters for details.

Roadsides can be acceptable sources, but you must obtain an encroachment permit to collect legally from state and county highways. Only collect common species on public lands. The one-third rule-of-thumb doesn't work if many people are collecting from the same site. It is not a bad idea to check with the local headquarters to ensure that you will not be interfering with a restoration project. Rare and endangered species should not be collected except as part of a qualified recovery program.

There is some disagreement on the internet as to the legality of picking or otherwise disturbing California poppies. Wikipedia states that the oft-repeated saw about the law protecting California poppies is a myth. A keyword search on the official California website returns no mention of such a law.
Legally, every property has an owner; know what your access and collection permission is before you start collecting.
You may prefer to purchase some plants to establish a source of propagules on your own property. Keep in mind that the gene pool that arises from one or a few individuals will be very limited. If you propagate vegetatively, you will have only clones of the original plants. In ecology, this is known as a population bottleneck and can limit the adaptability of your population, especially if there are no nearby populations that will introduce different genetic material through interbreeding. In this case, genetic diversity in your original collection is vital to the long-term success of the project.
Non-profit Suppliers
Many native plant societies, gardening clubs and high school or college agricultural classes hold annual or semi-annual plant sales to raise money for their organization. Ask questions about the provenance of the plants before you buy; it may have been grown from purchased seed. Some non-profit organizations have nurseries to support their own restoration efforts and also sell plants to the public. This allows them to dispose of stock that was grown for restoration and then not needed for whatever reason.
Commercial Suppliers
Suppliers of native plants vary widely in the quality of their product. Some establishments offer native plants as an aside, to cash in on the growing interest from customers. Often, what is offered is a cultivar of a native plant that has been artifically selected for "desirable" qualities. If you are truly interested in restoring or improving the local population of native plants, you will definitely be better off with a supplier that specializes in native plants. They are more likely to have considered the issues of artifical selection and provenance, have taken care to keep track of the provenance of their product and not mix them together. Plants or seeds that have been grown in conditions similar to your site will provide the best chance of success.
Internet Sources
Many reputable suppliers offer their products on the internet, but be sure to research the credentials of the supplier before purchasing. The California Native Plant Society maintains a list of reputable Native Plant Nurseries on their website. Suppliers that are not knowledgeable may mislabel a plant and you may end up with a different native, a non-native or worst of all, an invasive plant. And don't forget, most invasive plants are native somewhere (the exceptions being cultivars and genetically-modified plants). Provenance, Provenance, PROVENANCE!

Exercises

  1. Go on the Internet and look for sources of native seed. First just a general search for native seeds, then a search for a specific species. Discus the results of the search. Do the sources list the provenance of the seed?
  2. Conduct a survey of your property, neighborhood or vicinity to locate "hot spots" of native plants. Can you determine the ownership of the property?

References

 
The content of the page was last modified 2008-05-06