Meadowfoam (Cardamine pratensis) has become rare in the wild. However, you can sow the perennial wonderfully in the garden, where it looks great in wildflower meadows or as a border plant for the garden pond.
What should I know about meadowfoam seeds?
Meadowfoam seeds are 2 mm large, light brown, elongated grains that ripen in upright pods. They can be collected from wild perennials and sown directly outdoors. Germination occurs in light, moisture and nutrient-rich soil.
What do the seeds of meadowfoam look like?
Thelight brown colored, elongatedseeds of the meadowfoam are quite small at about2 millimeters in size. They sit in single rows in upright pods that can be up to 5 centimeters long.
How can I harvest meadowfoam seeds?
You can easily collect meadowfoam seedsfrom wild perennials
- After flowering, cut off the almost ripe pods.
- Put these in a tall glass.
- As soon as the seed coats are dry, they burst open and the seeds collect in the container.
- Carefully remove the grains from the still closed pods.
- You can now pack the seeds in paper bags and store them in a dark place until sowing.
When is the best time to harvest the seeds?
Depending on the location, the seed ripening of the meadowfoam beginsfrom Mayand lastsuntil July. The pods need approximately three to four weeks to mature.
Can I also buy meadowfoam seeds?
You can get seeds for planting in your own gardenin many garden centers or online. Since the meadowfoam is one of the increasingly rare wild perennials worth protecting, obtaining seeds from retailers has become easy.
How is meadowfoam sown?
Meadowfoam germinates on moist, nutrient-rich soil and canbe sown directly outdoors or in trays from March onwards.
Since this wild perennial is a light germinator, you should cover the seeds spread over a large area with a very thin layer of substrate and press them down a little. Once you have watered well, all you have to do now is make sure that the seeds don't dry out.
How do I stop the seeds from spreading?
Once the meadowfoam has established itself, you can only prevent the seeds from spreading by mowing down the fading wild perennials in good time.
The plants that are among the sap pressure spreaders have developed an excellent dispersal strategy: When the seeds inside are ripe, the cell sap pressure increases and the walls swell. If a certain pressure is exceeded, the pods tear open and the small grains are explosively thrown out meters away.
Tip
Meadowfoam is an edible and he althy wild herb
The leaves of the meadowfoam taste wonderful in quark dishes, salads and wild herb soups. The flowers incorporated into butter create a herb butter whose exquisite aroma goes well with grilled meat. When made into a tea, the medicinal plant relieves colds and is helpful for rheumatic complaints.
