Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Tuesday - December 06, 2005

From: irving, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: Viability of seeds that have not come up
Answered by: Nan Hampton and Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

I planted some wildflower seeds per instructions and they are not coming up. Should they? or will they come up in spring?

ANSWER:

The short answer is "maybe", it depends on several factors. First of all, were the seeds viable? Where did you get the seeds? How old were they? Had they been stored properly? Seed storage can affect the viability of seeds. High humidity and high temperatures adversely affect the viability of seeds. Some seeds have a limited storage life even if stored under optimal conditions. It is too late for the seeds you have already sown, but in future you can check the viability using the "Rag-Doll" test for seed germination on a small sample of the seeds you are sowing.

Another factor that could affect seed germination is that the seeds for some plants require special treatments before they will germinate. Your seed packet should have had instructions if this was the case. For instance, Texas bluebonnet seeds require scarification to insure a high percentage of germination. Some other species (in particular, perennials) require cold stratification to germinate.

Different wildflowers have different strategies for growing. Some that drop their seeds in the late spring or summer, germinate in the fall or winter and survive till spring as a small plant (for example, the rosette of the bluebonnet that forms in the late fall/early winter). In the spring the small plant expands its growth and blooms. Other species drop their seeds in late spring or summer and do not germinate until the following spring. If the latter situation fits your wildflower seeds, you may still see plants germinate in the spring.

Finally, it is possible that your seeds were eaten by insects or birds; or, if they were sown in a location with poor drainage and were over-watered, they may have succumbed to a fungus. If they were sown outdoors, you will just have to wait and watch for them and hope that they do germinate in the spring. If you sowed them in pots, you should move the pots outdoors so that the seeds will be experiencing normal winter temperatures and light cycles. If they do germinate before the last freeze, you can protect the tender young plants by moving them inside temporarily until the danger of frost is over.
 

More Wildflowers Questions

Native plants growing between Eagle Pass and Del Rio, TX
October 25, 2005 - I have just bought an acre near Quemado, Texas. That's about halfway between Eagle Pass and Del Rio. I'd like to know what the native plants for this area are, especially colorful flowers for the ...
view the full question and answer

More on bluebonnets
March 14, 2003 - How did the bluebonnet get its name?
view the full question and answer

Germinating Penstemon tenuis, Monarda citriodora and Machaeranthera tanacetifolia Seed
June 03, 2013 - I am a graduate student at Texas Tech (UT Austin alumni), studying horticulture. I will be researching several wildflowers found in west Texas including Penstemon tenuis, Monarda citriodora, and Macha...
view the full question and answer

Red spider mites in native bluebonnets in Austin
April 02, 2008 - What would you do if the WFC bluebonnets developed a bad case of red spider mites? That is what has happened to many of mine here in Austin. I noticed them the other day and I must have been asleep be...
view the full question and answer

Companion plants for non-native Santolina virens
March 23, 2015 - Can you recommend companion plant options for Santolina virens? The companion plant would be planted randomly and interspersed with the santolina and needs to be no taller than 12 inches because of th...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.