Pleasant Valley Conservancy
Seed collecting dates for prairie species in southern Wisconsin


As part of the prairie and oak savanna restoration we are carrying out at Pleasant Valley Conservancy, we have been reseeding areas that have been cleared of undesirable vegetation. All reseeding has been with locally collected seeds. The seed collecting dates presented here are based on a five-year record. For species that we have not collected, we have obtained dates from the Dane County Parks Department, which were published by Wayne Pauly and Amanda Coyle in August 1977.

The data in the present table are arranged in approximate chronological order. Another table, reached at the following link, has the same data arranged in alphabetical order by Latin name.

The dates must be considered only a guide. There is considerable year-to-year variability in seed maturation dates, due to variation in weather. There is also site-to-site variability, depending on soil, sun, and competition. The table provides a range of dates when seed collecting might be profitable.

It should be emphasized that considerable experience is needed when deciding if seeds of a given species are ripe. Populations of desired species should be located well ahead of time, while still in flower, and assessed frequently for ripeness. Using our table as a guide, check the seeds early and, if possible, continue checking at half-weekly intervals (weekly intervals at the longest). Maturity should be checked carefully with a fingernail and in some cases with a hand lens.

Some species retain mature seeds for long periods of time, whereas others lose their seeds quickly. The ideal situation for the novice is to work in the field with experienced seed collectors. Volunteering for seed collecting activities with groups that have a lot of experience, such as Madison Audubon Society, Dane County Parks, and the Prairie Enthusiasts, is highly recommended.

A similar compilation has been prepared for oak savanna species and was published in the Newsletter of the Prairie Enthusiasts (the Prairie Promoter) in Spring 2003.

For an Adobe Acrobat printable version of the table below, please click here.

Seed collecting dates Latin name Common name
Late May Anemone patens Pasque flower
Late May Erigeron pulchellus Robin's plantain
Late May Geum triflorum Prairie smoke
Late May-Early June Antennaria neglecta Field pussytoes
Late May-Early June Antennaria plantaginifolia Plantain-leaved pussytoes
Late May-Early June Packera (Senecio) plattensis Prairie ragwort
Late May-Mid June Viola pedata Bird's foot violet
Early June Oxalis violacea Violet wood-sorrel
Early June Sanguinaria canadensis Blood root
Early-Mid June Pedicularis canadensis Wood betony
Early-Late June Thalictrum dioicum Early meadow-rue
Mid June Ranunculus abortivus Small-flowered buttercup
Mid June Saxifraga pensylvanica Swamp saxifrage
Mid June Scheuchzeria palustris Arrow grass
Mid June Sisyrinchium angustifolium Narrow-leaved blue-eyed grass
Mid June Viola canadensis Tall white violet
Mid June-Early July Scutellaria sp Skullcap
Mid June-Early July Sisyrinchium campestre Blue-eyed grass
Mid June-Mid July Aquilegia canadensis Wild columbine
Mid-Late June Geranium maculatum Wild geranium
Mid-Late June Heuchera richardsonii Prairie alum-root
Mid-Late June Lupinus perennis Wild lupine
Mid-Late June Packera (Senecio) pauperculus Balsam ragwort
Mid-Late June Stipa spartea Needle grass
Late June-Early July Krigia biflora False dandelion (Cynthia)
Late June-Early July Polemonium reptans Jacob's ladder
Late June-Early July Polygala senega Seneca snakeroot
Late June-Mid July Lithospermum incisum Fringed puccoon
All July Angelica atropurpurea Great angelica
Early July Allium canadense Wild garlic
Early July Camassia scilloides Wild hyacinth
Early July Ceanothus herbaceous Inland New Jersey tea
Early July Comandra umbellata False toadflax
Early July Helianthemum bicknellii Bicknell's rock rose
Early July Panicum latifolium Broad-leaved panic grass
Early-Mid July Tradescantia ohiensis Common spiderwort
Early-Mid July Pediomelum esculentum Pomme-de-prairie
Mid July Blephilia ciliata Downy wood mint
Mid July Carex pensylvanica Pennsylvania sedge
Mid July Carex rosea Sedge
Mid July Phlox pilosa Downy phlox
Mid July-Early August Actaea rubra Red baneberry
Mid July-Early August Lobelia spicata Pale spiked lobelia
Mid July-Late August Osmorhiza longistylis Smooth sweet cicely
Late July Castilleja coccinea Indian paintbrush
Late July Castilleja sessiliflora Downy paintbrush
Late July Helianthemum canadense Rock rose
Late July-Early August Taenidia integerrima Yellow pimpernel
Late July-Mid September Arabis canadensis Sickle pod
Late July-Mid September Bromus kalmii Kalm's brome
Late July-Mid September Elymus villosus Silky wild rye
July-Early August Dodecatheon meadia Shooting star
All August Bromus ciliatus Fringed brome
All August Elymus hystrix Bottlebrush grass
All August Koeleria macrantha June grass
Early August Anemone canadensis Meadow anemone
Early August Cicuta maculata Water-hemlock
Early August Festuca subverticillata Nodding fescue
Early August Galium boreale Northern bedstraw
Early August Heliopsis helianthoides False sunflower (ox-eye)
Early August Hieracium longipilum Hairy hawkweed
Early August Lathyrus venosus Veiny pea
Early August Lithospermum canescens Hoary puccoon
Early August Opuntia humifusa Prickly-pear cactus
Early August Penstemon grandiflorus Large bear-tongue
Early August Scrophularia marilandica Late figwort
Early August Zigadenus elegans glaucus White camas lily
Early August Zizia aptera Heart-leaved golden alexander
August-Early September Agrimonia gryposepala Tall agrimony
August-Mid September Desmodium glutinosum Pointed tick-trefoil
Early August-Early September Desmodium illinoense Illinois tick-trefoil
Early August-Mid September Thalictrum dasycarpum Purple meadow-rue
Early August-Mid September Zizia aurea Golden Alexander
Mid August Bouteloua hirsuta Hairy grama
Mid August Geum canadense White avens
Mid August Potentilla argentea Silvery cinquefoil
Mid August Spartina pectinata Prairie cord grass
Mid August-Early October Bouteloua curtipendula Side oats grama
Mid August-Early October Potentilla arguta Prairie cinquefoil
Mid August-Early September Actaea alba White baneberry
Mid August-Early September Baptisia alba White wild indigo
Mid August-Early September Cryptotaenia canadensis Honewort
Mid August-Mid October Oenothera biennis Common evening-primrose
Mid August-Mid October Polygonatum biflorum Smooth Solomon's seal
Mid August-Mid September Campanula rotundifolia Harebell
Mid August-Mid September Euphorbia corollata Flowering spurge
Mid August-Late October Linum medium texanum Small yellow flax
Mid August-Late October Smilacina racemosa False Solomon's seal
Mid August-Late September Monarda fistulosa Wild bergamot
Mid August-Late September Phryma leptostachya Lopseed
Late August Eragrostis spectabilis Purple Lovegrass
Late August- Early October Elymus riparius Woodland rye
Late August-Early October Anemone cylindrica Thimbleweed
Late August-Early October Bromus altissimus Woodland brome
Late August-Early October Panicum virgatum Switch grass
Late August-Early October Parthenium integrifolium Wild quinine
Late August-Mid September Cirsium muticum Swamp thistle
Late August-Mid September Napaea dioica Glade mallow
Late August-Mid September Polygala sp Milkwort
Late August-Mid September Teucrium canadense Germander
Late August-Late September Silphium perfoliatum Cup plant
Late August-Late September Sporobolus heterolepis Prairie dropseed
Late August-Late September Verbena hastata Blue vervain
Late August-Late September Verbena urticifolia White vervain
Late August-Late September Veronicastrum virginicum Culver's root
Late August-October Anemone virginiana Tall anemone
Late August-October Hieracium kalmii Canada hawkweed
Late August-September Allium cernuum Nodding wild onion
Late August-September Amorpha canescens Lead-plant
Late August-September Dalea candida White prairie clover
Late August-September Dalea purpureum Purple prairie clover
Late August-September Desmodium canadense Showy tick-trefoil
Late September-October Agastache nepetoides Yellow giant hyssop
All September Arisaema triphyllum Jack-in-the-pulpit
All September Arnoglossum atriplicifolium Pale Indian-plantain
All September Astragalus canadensis Milk vetch
All September Goodyera sp Rattlesnake plantain
All September  Kuhnia eupatorioides False boneset
Early September Agastache foeniculum Blue giant hyssop
Early September Baptisia bracteata Cream wild indigo
Early September Chamaecrista fasciculata Golden cassia
Early September Echinacea pallida Pale purple coneflower
Early September Elymus canadensis Canada wild rye
Early September Helianthus strumosus Woodland sunflower
Early September Lactuca canadensis Wild lettuce
Early September Polygonum virginianum Woodland knotweed
Early September Polytaenia nuttallii Prairie parsley
Early September-Early October Eupatorium maculatum Spotted Joe-Pye-weed
Early September-Early October Eupatorium perfoliatum Common boneset
Early September-Early October Verbena stricta Hoary vervain
Early September-Mid October Silphium integrifolium Rosinweed
Early September-Late October Pycnanthemum virginianum Common mountain mint
Early-Mid September Silphium terebinthinaceum Prairie dock
Early-Mid September Tephrosia virginiana Goat's-rue
Early-Late September Silphium laciniatum Compass plant
Mid September Aralia racemosa Spikenard
Mid September Carex bicknellii Bicknell's sedge
Mid September Gaura biennis Gaura
Mid September Monarda punctata Dotted horsemint
Mid September Panax quinquefolium Ginseng
Mid September Phlox glaberrima Smooth phlox
Mid September Physalis virginiana Ground cherry
Mid September-Early October Eryngium yuccifolium Rattlesnake master
Mid September-Early October Liatris aspera Rough blazing star
Mid September-Early October Liatris cylindracea Dwarf blazing star
Mid September-Early October Liatris pycnostachya Prairie blazing star
Mid September-Mid October Lobelia siphilitica Great blue lobelia
Mid September-Mid October Rosa sp. Rose
Mid September-Mid October Rudbeckia hirta Black-eyed Susan
Mid September-Mid October Sorghastrum nutans Indian grass
Mid September-Late October Solidago ptarmacoides Stiff aster
Mid September-Late October Triosteum perfoliatum Early horse gentian
Mid-Late September Asclepias verticillata Whorled milkweed
Mid-Late September Asclepias viridiflora Short green milkweed
Mid-Late September Eupatorium purpureum Purple joe-pye weed
Mid-Late September Gnaphalium obtusifolium Old field balsam
Mid-Late September Lysimachia ciliata Fringed loosestrife
Mid-September Amphicarpaea bracteata Hog peanut
Mid-September Apocynum cannabinum Hemp-dogbane
Mid-September Pyrola sp Shinleaf
Late September Asclepias incarnata Swamp milkweed
Late September Cirsium altissimum Woodland thistle
Late September Cirsium discolor Pasture thistle
Late September Hasteola suaveolens Sweet Indian plantain
Late September Helianthus occidentalis Naked-stemmed sunflower
Late September Helianthus pauciflorus Prairie sunflower
Late September Campanula americana Tall bellflower
Late September-Early October Eupatorium sessilifolium Woodland boneset
Late September-Early October Helianthus grosseserratus Saw-toothed sunflower
Late September-Mid October Vernonia fasciculata Common ironweed
Late September-Late October Prenanthes alba Lion's foot
Late September-Late October Schizachyrium scoparium Little bluestem
Late September-October Andropogon gerardii Big bluestem
Late September-October Asclepias syriaca Common milkweed
Late September-October Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly weed
Late September-October Aureolaria grandiflora Yellow false foxglove
Late September-October Chelone glabra Turtlehead
Late September-October Coreopsis palmata Prairie tickseed
Late September-October Gentiana andrewsii Bottle gentian
Late September-October Helenium autumnale Sneezeweed
Late September-October Hypericum pyramidatum Great St. John's wort
September-Early October Lespedeza capitata Round-headed bush clover
September-Early October Ratibida pinnata Yellow coneflower
September-Mid October Ceanothus americanus New Jersey tea
All October Asclepias exaltata Poke milkweed
All October Cypripedium calceolus pubescens Large yellow lady-slipper
All October Lilium michiganense Turk's cap lily
All October Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal flower
All October Pedicularis lanceolata Swamp betony (lousewort)
All October Rudbeckia triloba Brown-eyed Susan
Early October Asclepias purpurascens Purple milkweed
Early October Eupatorium altissimum Upland boneset
Early October Smilax herbacea herbacea Carrion flower
Early October Viburnum prunifolium Black haw
Mid October Bidens sp Beggar's tick
Mid October Euthamia graminifolia Grass-leaved goldenrod
Mid October Liatris spicata Dense gay-feather
Mid October Prenanthes crepidinea Great white-lettuce
Mid October-Early November Solidago nemoralis Old-field goldenrod (grey; dye
Mid-Late October Aster novae-angliae New England aster
Mid-Late October Aster oolentangiensis Sky-blue aster
Mid-Late October Aster puniceus Swamp aster
Mid-Late October Aster sagittifolius Arrow-leaved aster
Mid-Late October Aster sericeus Silky aster
Mid-Late October Lilium philadelphicum Wood lily
Mid-Late October Solidago rigida Stiff goldenrod
Mid-Late October Gentianella quinquefolia Stiff gentian
Late October Aster ericoides Heath aster
Late October Aster laevis Smooth blue aster
Late October-Early November Aster lateriflorus Side flowering aster
Late October-Early November Elymus virginicus Virginia wild rye
Late October-Early November Solidago flexicaulis Zig zag goldenrod
October Solidago juncea Early goldenrod
October Solidago missouriensis Missouri goldenrod
October-Early November Solidago speciosa Showy goldenrod
October-Early November Solidago ulmifolia Elm-leaved goldenrod
Early November Gentiana alba Cream gentian
Early November Lobelia inflata Indian tobacco


<return to top of page
For questions or comments regarding this web site please send email to info@savannaoak.org