The native wildflower diversity of the Southern Appalachians is nearly unmatched. From early spring bloomers in hot, humid bottomlands to autumn asters on dry, rocky summits, there’s a beautiful flower for every habitat and season! Inviting these wild creatures to live in our gardens, wildflower meadows, or even pots on our porches benefits humans, wildlife, and the environment, but how do we collect seeds mindfully without impacting the plants and their habitat?

This workshop will cover the basics of ethical and sustainable wild seed collection, focusing on methods that backyard gardeners can use to collect and process seeds by hand in small, home-garden quantities without any special tools. We will also discuss the benefits of growing wild, native plants, and introduce participants to our WNC Wildseed Library program.