Seeds Sunbaking
On a clear, hot, sunny day, you will find our nursery tables covered in trays of banksia cones, pods, capsules and seed of every shape and size, all soaking up the sunshine. It might look like a quiet job, but it is one of the most important steps in growing local native plants.
Where our seed comes from
Our seed and cuttings are collected mainly by nursery staff and volunteers from wild native plants on the Sunshine Coast, which keeps our plants true to local genetic stock. Around 90–95% of our plants come from natural populations, with the rest grown from cultivated sources or by division within the nursery.
We collect from Noosa North Shore to Currimundi Lake and west to Mt Ninderry. We do not collect in national parks and we hold permits to collect from council lands lands.
Local landowners who know the native plants on their properties also donate seed.
We kindly ask the community not to collect seed independently from national parks, reserves and public lands. Unregulated collection can harm native plant populations, and doing it well takes specialist knowledge to protect plant health and wildlife habitat. Our staff and trained volunteers follow strict ethical and legal protocols under our collection permits.
You can help by volunteering with us, donating locally sourced seed from your property where appropriate, or choosing to grow plants bought directly from the nursery.
Why we dry seed in the sun
Seed collected from the bush is rarely ready to sow straight away. Many native plants, including banksias, hold their seed inside woody cones, pods and capsules that need heat to open. Spreading them out in the sun does the work gently and naturally, encouraging them to split and release the seed inside.
Drying also helps in other ways. Seed that is dry is far less likely to go mouldy in storage, and it is much easier to clean and separate from chaff and other plant material before it is sown.
Sun isn’t the only tool we use. Some of the toughest woody pods, such as Banksia robur, are barbecued to help them open and release their seed. Other seed gets a hot water bath before sowing to help it germinate.
What happens on the tables
Each species is kept in its own tray and labelled, so we always know exactly what we have and where it came from. Some trays are divided into sections, which makes it easier to sort seed from chaff and keep small batches apart. Fine material is passed through sieves to separate the seed from the debris, leaving clean seed that is ready for the next stage.
It is a hands-on process, and a good reminder of how much variety there is in our local flora. Some seed is as fine as dust, while other seed comes in large nuts and pods that you can hold in your palm.
From seed to garden
Drying and cleaning is the first step in the propagation process. Once the seed is ready, it is sown, nurtured and grown on in the nursery until the seedlings are strong enough to head out into the world. From here they become the plants that fill local gardens, backyards and restoration sites.
Growing plants from locally collected seed helps keep our local plant communities genetically diverse, and it means the plants we grow are suited to the conditions where they will end up.
Come and see for yourself
The nursery is a working community space, and we love sharing what we do. If you would like to see seed processing in action, or find out more about growing native plants from seed, pop in and say hello at 157 Warran Rd, Yaroomba, or visit coolumnatives.com.
Follow along on Facebook and Instagram with #CoolumNatives to see more behind-the-scenes moments from the nursery.
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