Thimbleweed (Anemone cylindrica)

Difficulty: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
(Relatively easy — seeds are produced in abundance and are easy to harvest once mature)

Seed Collection Time:

Mid to late summer — typically late July through August

Signs Seeds are Ready:

• Flowers are replaced by elongated, cylindrical seed heads

• Seed heads turn from green to grayish-white or silvery and feel fluffy

• Seeds are small, fuzzy achenes with feathery tails (plume-like structures)

• When ready, the heads shed fluff when gently rubbed

Tip: Mature heads resemble a miniature bottlebrush and feel soft and dry to the touch.

Seed Collection Steps:

1. Collect fluffy seed heads by hand or with snips on a dry, windless day

2. Place them in paper bags or a bin to avoid losing windborne seeds

3. Allow to air dry for 3–5 days

4. Strip seeds by hand and separate from fluff with a mesh screen or light fanning

5. Store clean seeds in a paper envelope or breathable container

Note: Seeds are lightweight and airy — avoid using plastic bags.

Germination Tips:

• Benefits from cold moist stratification for 60–90 days

• Sow outdoors in fall or simulate stratification in the fridge

• Surface sow — seeds need light for germination

• Germination in 3–5 weeks after stratification in warm, moist conditions

Note: Can self-sow once established in appropriate conditions.