Sampling From Wild Plants

Jars of seeds (Photo: Kanenori)

We aim to collect sufficient seed to represent the genetic diversity of the target plant species at a single location and store the seed safely for many years. In the event of a catastrophic loss of the wild plant at that location, the seed collection could be used to re-introduce the plant to that location. It is thought that, in most cases, a seed collection obtained by combining seed from at least 50 individual wild plants of the target species will also be broadly representative of the genetic diversity of the species. Increasingly land managers planning habitat restoration are encouraging the collection of seed samples from numerous locations across the natural range of species, so that locally adapted seed can be available for these purposes.

Next: Collecting the seeds