How long do seeds stay viable

[newtothis]

I forgot a few pots of seeds under the deck that have been out all winter. Can they still germinate in spring?

[PalmatierMeg]

Depends on the species. I leave all my Sabal seeds outside year round. But I wouldn't leave out more tropical seeds. What do you have?

[newtothis]

Meg, some (not all) of your d.lutescens and a.merilli as well as p.pacifica and others. So cold can damage a seed not just seedlings?

[_Keith]

You should probably define cold, as in lets say under or over 35 degrees.

[Tala]

yes cold will damage and kill many seeds, some like Sabal, Butia, other cold hardys do fine as long as they are stored somewhat dry; tho' prolonged wet cold can affect these as well. Heat is your best friend when growing from seed.

[_Keith]

Storage and germination temps are too entirely different matters. There are a few sources that state that palm seed viability can be lenghtened by storage at 65 degrees.

And this is, of course, highly variable depending upon species.