Native Red Maple Seeds (Acer rubrum), South Carolina Ecotype, 25+ Seeds

Description: Red Maple is a good tree for pollinator and wildlife gardens. The early bloom and early seeding benefit both pollinators with nectar and birds with seeds. It's also good as an erosion stream back stabilizer, as it loves wet spots. It can withstand periodic flooding. It makes a nice shade and landscape tree with brilliant red foliage in the fall and red bloom and seeds in the spring. But make sure that you don't plant it near underground pipes and the roots will seek out any leaky spots and clog the pipe. While the preference is for wet land, it will also grow and thrive in well drained soils, as long as it has plenty of water for a couple years until the roots are deeply established. Members of the genus Acer support the beautiful Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. These seeds will germinate poorly if they are allowed to dry out, so they are shipped to you damp to keep them viable. They should be planted immediately, either in pots or outside. They were harvested March 3, 2023 and will only be available for a short time. The seeds were washed and treated with dilute hydrogen peroxide to avoid mold, and stored in a fridge. Free shipping by first class letter. ************* NATIVES: This offering is part of our "natives" seeds and cuttings. We encourage the propagation of native plants, as these generally require less care and are of more benefit to the local environment. Our pollinators and songbirds are declining, and one reason for the loss is the planting of non-native plants that give them no support. Non-native plants often require watering and high pesticide use. The pesticides are another reason for the decline of our pollinators and songbirds. Some non-native plants, like Bradford pear, and Privit have become highly invasive and destructive. ECOTYPES: Our seeds and cuttings come from the Pee Dee region of South Carolina - Horry, Georgetown, Williamsburg and Florence Counties in the northeastern corner of the state. So these are of a coastal Carolina ecotype. Why are ecotypes important? Many of our native plants have a wide range. For example, red maples are native throughout the entire eastern US, but there are variations within the species due to adaptation to local conditions. You can expect that those from your area will do better than one from far away, even though they are the same species. NATIVITY RESOURCES ONLINE: You can find online info on native status for your area with the North American Plant Atlas, which is presented by The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). You must know the Genus and species, but then you can find county-by-county information. Another resource, which is a bit more clunky (to me) is the government Plants National Database, which does allow common names (but take care, as these have regional variations). Both online sites are easy to find online. SEEDS: Our seeds are hand collected in season, and are in limited supply. While we try to clean these, we don't have the fancy machinery that large seed companies have, so there may be some chaff or other plant material included. We are generous in our measurements, though. And residues should not interfere with sowing the seeds. Our berries may be offered two ways - as dried berries, or as separated seeds, at a higher cost, to compensate for the increased labor. Most seeds are shipped dry with a pac of silica gel for insurance. But a few, like Magnolia, Live Oak, Red Maple, and Longleaf pine should never be allowed to dry out. These are shipped damp and should be dealt with immediately. Many of the native perennial seeds require a period of cold (fall planting or cold storage in a damp medium - (called "stratification"), in order to germinate well. Some also require "scarification." You can search online for info on how to do both of these practices. YouTube is especially helpful with many videos to show processes. Of course, as with any online resource, you have to use some judgement. There are many techniques, some contradictory, and some online info is just plain wrong. CUTTINGS: Likewise there is much online info on plant cuttings. Keep in mind that this kind of propagation is a bit of a gamble. If you win, you get cheap plants that are exactly what you want (have you priced nursery stock lately?). If you lose, you aren't out much. Most of our cuttings are made fresh upon your order, as we try to do our best for your success. Only a few are not made per your order, and these are dated in the listing, and refrigerated until sale. While we emphasize native plants, we are not obsessive, and do have a few non-native food, herbs, and some woody plants that have shown to be well-behaved in our own homestead. NO GUARANTEES: As with any plant material, our offerings are subject to many factors and we cannot give any guarantees. We do want our customers to succeed, so we take care to give fresh and viable materials. And we no longer offer some things that we've shown in our own tests to be unlikely to do well.

Price: 3.5 USD

Location: Hemingway, South Carolina

End Time: 2024-10-05T00:55:14.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD