I don't really have anything I would consider unusual, just the run of the mill first year gardener stuff, but I would love a couple of the seeds from your shed door hibiscus. Take a look at my trade list and see if anything strikes your fancy. One I do not have listed is a white hibiscus that grows naturally here in NC. The plant was 5' tall and had many blooms this summer.

The hibiscus seeds are inside the pod. It should crack open fairly easily.

Here is a link that might be useful: Token's seeds

Hi Christiw,

Welcome to Garden Web, and The seed Exchange.

Since you are new to saving seed, I must say that I highly doubt if your butterfly bush seeds or hibiscus are ready for harvest in your zone. I know mine are not near ready to harvest here, and I am probably in your zone.

Here is a link to an FAQ at the seed Saving Forum for Butterfly bush and it shows a pic of a pod that has not matured yet to a brown color and split.
Note...The developing pods look like miniature green footballs, they are held upright as they develop. After an extended period of time the pods finally mature, turn a dark mahogany brown and spit open at the end tip. Inside are tan to medium dark seeds the size of dust.

As token said above, the hibiscus pods should crack open easily. Both the seeds and pods should be brown colored.

Sue

I guess I messed this all up. Looks like I may have the large red hibiscus in the next week or so once I recollect. I have pods but the ones I collected are already dark brown and open which means the seeds probably fell all over the ground! Looks like the butterfly bush seeds won't be here until November.

I'm sure I have the purple Columbines right though if anybody wants those. LOL!

If they weren't pollinated, they won't develop seed pods. My Luna Red hasn't formed a pod all summer.

Christi,

I gotta fess up here on myself. A couple of years ago I collected the football shaped pods b4 they split open. I sent some out that way, thinking they would in time split open. I had several cut spent blooms in a paper bag here, and I was then watching for them to split. They never did open, as I guess I had just gotten in a hurry too much, and harvested the pods too soon.

I have also received in seeds to butterfly bush, that was all chaff from spent blooms with no sign of there even having been a seed pod. I think butterfly bush is one that is a little harder than most things to collect seed from and get it right.

{{gwi:83118}} is beautiful

I found a pic of a hibiscus seed pod via a search over at the Seed Saving Forum.

Hardy Hibiscus seed pod

Since you are new to seed saving, you might try doing a search over there as about everything has been asked about at one time or another.

Sue

Christi email me if you see anything on my trade page that interests you. Thanks!

I have the pods, here's a pic and I've waited until they fall off:
http://differentdaisy.com/BLOG_IMAGES/hibiscuspod.jpg

But, when I open them up, no seeds. There is a little thing in there that I can open. When I do there's some dust like stuff in there which I thought was the seeds:

http://differentdaisy.com/BLOG_IMAGES/HibiscusPod2.jpg

http://differentdaisy.com/BLOG_IMAGES/hibiscus_seeds_question.jpg

Maybe they weren't pollinated? I find it hard to believe because I have sooo many hummingbirds bees, bees and butterflies. Should I hand pollinate them to get seed?

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:83119}}

Hi Christi,

I got your email, replied, and thought I would post my reply here for others too.

I just went out and looked at my big mixed clump. There are several dried up pods on there. In looking at several of them, the ones that are dried up are the ones with no seeds in them.

In opening up a couple of the pods that are just light tan colored, I see there are seeds in them, but they are white, and not near ready to be harvested yet. Like one member said...when they are ready, they will start to split open. If you check them every so often, you will see their progress, and you can easily harvest some before they all spill out. Even after they split, they don't all fall out right away. Once you see some starting to split (assuming you have several buds) you can then go ahead and harvest the driest brownest looking ones.

I will try and send you a pic, or post it to that thread of the pod with the white immature seeds. They are about half the size of a morning glory seed and are round balls. They are also susceptible to having bugs in them, so you also have to look out for that too. The bugs drill tiny holes in them.
(I found out about the bugs the hard way too)

ttyl...heading out for the day until dark.