Seed dispersal by hand; Anyone do this?

[smithgn]

Does anyone disperse seeds in any particular place, like off of a main road in the woods or whether it be in the woods behind their back yards? I had a few hundred sabal minor seeds that I tossed out in a few areas around town that are frequently damp and that accumulate standing water after rain. The good thing about these areas, since they're flood zones, Is that no one will build and CAN'T build in these areas. So I figure why not spread some native sabal minor seeds in these areas?

I understand it can get a little controversial to spread seed of certain palms where they're considered noxious. Especially in Florida, where Livistona Chinensis' are becoming a noxious weed. But since Sabal Minors are native to the area, I don't see any harm done if the seeds are well placed. Anyone else do this? Also, what are the chances of seeds germinating in       areas where the ground is thick in pine needles or leaves? Will the seeds just "find their way"?

[Josh-O]

they should sprout quick when the weather warms up.

[smithgn]

Yeah man! That's what I'm hoping for. Although, this was a "drive-by" seed dispersal, as I just tossed them out of my window at a low speed. They definitely landed in their general intended area; now I just have to wait a few years to see any small green sprouts lol

[redbeard917]

I think many of us have probably done this. I tossed some Sabal palmetto seeds on an island in Goose Creek Bay (south of Tallahassee). Not so controversial so close to its native range, but I also scattered some Chamaedorea cataractum seeds in a swamp near a friend's house in Orlando, FL. I haven't been back to see if they came up. I've also had some volunteers in the woods behind my house that were probably seed I thought were bad and threw out. Would cleaning the fruit off the seeds and planting them by hand increase the rate of success?

[Zeeth]

I've dispersed Leucothrinax morrisii, Coccothrinax argentata and Thrinax radiata in coastal preserve in Manatee county. I'm not sure if I'll ever know if I was successful or not with how slow they grow, but I figured it was worth a shot. 

 

I've also dispersed Sabal causiarum, Sabal lisa and Sabal mauritiiformis seeds in a wooded park in Tampa. 

[smithgn]

19 hours ago, redbeard917 said:

I think many of us have probably done this. I tossed some Sabal palmetto seeds on an island in Goose Creek Bay (south of Tallahassee). Not so controversial so close to its native range, but I also scattered some Chamaedorea cataractum seeds in a swamp near a friend's house in Orlando, FL. I haven't been back to see if they came up. I've also had some volunteers in the woods behind my house that were probably seed I thought were bad and threw out. Would cleaning the fruit off the seeds and planting them by hand increase the rate of success?

Cool! I would most certainly think cleaning the fruit off the seed would help. I think it'd mostly help in preventing the seed from producing a fungus. All of mine that I've tossed were no-fruit seeds. As far as planting them by hand, I've always wondered this as well. I mean, I feel like they'd have a better chance if actually hand planted, maybe under a thin layer of soil so they can root properly. Although, if you think about how seeds are naturally dispersed, they will land wherever they drop, on top of the soil and go from there. I think in the end, the seeds find a way. But the OCD in me wants to know for sure lol

18 hours ago, Zeeth said:

I've dispersed Leucothrinax morrisii, Coccothrinax argentata and Thrinax radiata in coastal preserve in Manatee county. I'm not sure if I'll ever know if I was successful or not with how slow they grow, but I figured it was worth a shot. 

 

I've also dispersed Sabal causiarum, Sabal lisa and Sabal mauritiiformis seeds in a wooded park in Tampa. 

That's awesome. I've joked with a few friends that I'll know whether my seed dispersal method works once I come back in a decade or so, Lol. Parks are a great place to toss some seed out. Thanks for sharing man.

[awkonradi]

Last summer I scattered about 200 Brahea edulis seeds in two gullies just east of the ridge in San Bruno, CA.  I think they'll get enough water there.  Maybe enough sun.  This is fog country.

[Joe NC]

I have been doing this every fall for about 6 years behind my house with S. minor seeds.  I usually fill a plastic shopping bag full of seeds when they are ripe on plants in the landscaping at local stores.  (Yes I am that weird guy picking a bag full of palm seeds in a shopping center parking lot)  I just throw seeds by the handful, with the thin black fruit still on, into the wooded area in my back yard where I want them to establish (everywhere).  Many usually sprout by mid summer, and maybe have 2 grass blade like leaves around 1 year from the original tossing date.  Between the first two years the small plants either get eaten, smothered by falling leaves and branches, or just die from landing and germinating in a crappy spot, and there are significantly fewer come the next spring.  I just keep throwing more seeds out there every year and eventually I will have an established patch of them growing.  The few survivors from the initial planting 6 years ago are now just starting to look like small strap leaf palms, maybe soon they will be forked strap leaf?  You will definitely need a decade to be able to notice driving by in a car if you seeds took.       

[John Case]

I do it all of the time with Phoenix robellini and Chamaedorea radicalis.....

[Joe NC]

 

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The results of some of my sabal seed scattering over the years.  The largest on the right is probably 5 years old, some of the single leaf sprouts are from seeds thrown last summer.  The greener palm in the middle is a needle from a seed that I also tossed there probably 4 years ago.  This area is in heavy shade.  I have been cutting back the Chinese privet and honeysuckle that is dominating the understory of the wooded area in my yard and trying to get a bunch of Sabal established.   

[Zeeth]

Good work! 

[smithgn]

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2015‎ ‎11‎:‎28‎:‎07‎, awkonradi said:

Last summer I scattered about 200 Brahea edulis seeds in two gullies just east of the ridge in San Bruno, CA.  I think they'll get enough water there.  Maybe enough sun.  This is fog country.

That's that's I like to see! I plan on throwing at least a couple of hundred seeds every year. I bet it will be a pleasant surprise when you go back and check it out in 5 or 10 years and see a grove of braheas growing. How often do you see this area?

 

Joe in NC- That is so cool! Thanks for the picture. This is exactly what I hope to achieve. This gives me great perspective, as this gives me a chance to see what to look for after 5 years or so. I hope to achieve this not only in my yard, but in the public areas that I toss seed. Just like your area, in my area, sabal minors are almost always off the beaten path and never so easy to spot for the commoner walking or driving by. Maybe one day more people can spot them growing in a very public location or off an interstate somewhere where they don't/cant mow the grass.

[SouthFLA]

I do this too! It is good to have diversity in nature as long as you are not spreading an invasive species.

[Zeeth]

Here's a Coccothrinax argentata growing in a coastal preserve in Manatee county. The seeds were collected at Bahia Honda state park in the winter of 2013/2014.

 

[eevans]

I've been doing this intermittently for over 20 years in the Austin area.

There are some decades-old Sabal mexicana in a couple of small city parks, which produce a lot of seeds. These have spread and naturalized on their own throughout an adjacent nature preserve.  They might or might not be "native" in the area, but they are native just a few hours in south Texas.

Over the years I picked up a lot of seed off the ground in one of those parks, and spread them along the downtown Austin hike-and-bike trail, which wraps around the Colorado river. I also grew my own backyard tree from one of those seeds, which now produces loads of its own seeds, which I also have spread along that trail over the years.

At this point there are probably around 100 or more of those palms growing along the trail. I can't say for sure how many are "mine", but I don't recall seeing any there before I started tossing seeds.

But I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that others have done the same thing there!

[PalmTreeDude]

I just stumbled apon this thread, and it is great. I did this with a stalk of Sabal palmetto seeds here, they all sprouted and went through last years winter. Here they are today. 

[PalmTreeDude]

[PalmTreeDude]

[Zeeth]

Coccothrinax argentata subsp. argentata in coastal Manatee county. Wild rabbits have been nibbling on the leaves a bit, but nothing too damaging. 

[Zeeth]

On 11/4/2018 at 7:10 AM, Zeeth said:

Coccothrinax argentata subsp. argentata in coastal Manatee county. Wild rabbits have been nibbling on the leaves a bit, but nothing too damaging. 

2 years worth of growth.

[mgmccabe]

I do this all the time with papaya seeds. They very rarely take but the ones that have are robust. They come and go very quickly around here so it helps to just toss them around whenever we get a fruit. 

[Stevejr]

I plan on scattering seeds from my 10 year old sabal minors in the woods in Bayside, NY which is part of Queens. Can you imagine palm seedlings popping up in the wild in NY? The question is what do I do with my sabal minor seedlings emerging from the original plant? Do I let them grow there, or dig them out?

[WaianaeCrider]

On 11/14/2020 at 4:48 PM, mgmccabe said:

I do this all the time with papaya seeds. They very rarely take but the ones that have are robust. They come and go very quickly around here so it helps to just toss them around whenever we get a fruit. 

I have dumped probably 1000 papaya seeds along trails I hike.  I've never seen one growing anywhere.  On my property the birds plant them around.  Wonder why none in the hills were I hike?

 

[Allen]

53 minutes ago, Stevejr said:

I plan on scattering seeds from my 10 year old sabal minors in the woods in Bayside, NY which is part of Queens. Can you imagine palm seedlings popping up in the wild in NY? The question is what do I do with my sabal minor seedlings emerging from the original plant? Do I let them grow there, or dig them out?

You can dig them up at that size but the roots may go down a foot or so