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Handbook Exchange Garden Collected Wild Collected

Donor Instruction Form: Seed Exchange 2008-2009

Collecting Seed

Do not collect seed in areas where this is forbidden, such as national parks and certain other preserves. Clean the seed by removing it from capsules, discarding debris and chaff. If the seed is enclosed in a fleshy fruit, remove as much moist material as possible. Uncleaned or diseased seed will be destroyed at the inspection station. Collect and send in a reasonable amount of seed, enough for a minimum of 5 packets. Please try to verify your plants are correctly named before sending them.

Packaging Seed For Donation

Please use paper, re-sealable clear plastic or glassine envelopes. Seed should be visible through the envelope for all Overseas and Canadian donations that go through the inspection station. Glassine envelopes may be purchased from the NARGS Book Service.
PRINT IN VERY CLEAR GOOD-SIZED LETTERS the botanical name, collection site (if wild collected), color (if unusual), and your surname on each envelope. The donor's name is necessary on every envelope.
Be sure that the seed envelope does not leak! Very small seed should be wrapped in a piece of waxed paper or foil before being placed in the envelope. Enormous amounts of seed leak out of packets that are not properly sealed, especially from the corners of the envelope.
If any seeds are unusually moist, particularly aroids and peonies, Acanthus and Iris, enclose them separately in plastic to prevent the moisture from ruining the rest of the seeds. Fern spores (and other dust-like seed) should be packaged into individual envelopes by the donor. The spores are so small that they are impossible to repackage. Spore packets should be small enough to fit inside the glassines used for distribution, about 1" or 2 cm square.
Early maturing seed of shorter viability will be stored appropriately if sent early, but the Exchange cannot provide special storage of seed after it is sent to the packaging chapters. Please let the Intake Manager know if the seed needs special handling (such as refrigeration) when you send in the seed.

Seed Donation Form

This form is used by the Intake Manager to enter your donation into the computer. If you do not have a blank donation form; please enclose a clearly written or typed list of the seeds you are sending. A copy of the donation form is available in MSWord by clicking here, or in Adobe pdf format by clicking here. Fill out the form with the botanical names listed alphabetically and for wild collected seed the collection site information is necessary. The remaining information (height, flower color) can prove useful, especially if there is variability in the species.
Fill out the Seed Donation Form making sure you PRINT IN CLEAR GOOD-SIZED LETTERS. Place seed envelopes and Donation Form in a strong mailing envelope or box. Padded or cardboard envelopes are best. If you cannot get one, wrap the seed envelopes in some kind of padding inside the envelope. To avoid damage, do not put loose seed packets inside large envelopes.

Sending the Seed

Do not send any seed that is on the “Unacceptable Seed List”
In the USA, mail your donation to the Intake Manager (address below) as early as possible. You may send more than one shipment if you have a lot of seed or some early ripened seed and later ripening seed. DO NOT SEND SEED TO ANY OTHER ADDRESS. For USA MEMBERS- Mail MUST BE RECEIVED by November 1. No item can be added to the catalog after November 2.
OVERSEAS AND CANADIAN DONATIONS must use the enclosed permit and green & yellow mailing label. Please follow instructions below very carefully or your seed will not reach the exchange. Overseas members, Seed MUST BE MAILED BY 15 OCTOBER. Seed arriving late will be discarded.
INSIDE the mailing envelope, Overseas and Canadian donors should place the following items:

  • seed packets, labeled with botanical name and your last name;
  • completed seed donation form (included in this mailing);
  • copy of the USDA import permit (included in this mailing) with the white mailing label still attached; Port Inspectors will use this label to forward the seeds to the Intake Manager

    • On the OUTSIDE of your mailing envelope, paste the green & yellow mailing label (included in this mailing); it will direct your seed to the U.S. inspection station. Do not put the white delivery address label on the mailing envelope!
    There is a limit of 50 seed packets per shipment so if you have more than 50 taxa to send or you mail early and plan to send a second shipment of seed at a later date, please request a second set of import permit and labels from the Intake Manager (see contact information below) as soon as possible.

    Late Donations (USA only)

    If you are sure you will have late-ripening seed to send after November 1, you may send a list to the Intake Manager for inclusion in the catalog and mail the late seed to arrive by December 1. This special service may be used ONLY for late-ripening or wild-collected seed; it is NOT intended to provide donor numbers to procrastinators and you should send any other seed you have collected before the November 1 deadline!

    What To Send

    The most frequently ordered items in the Seed Exchange are small, highly ornamental alpine plants, especially those collected in the wild. Very unusual items, especially from temperate climates, as well as woodland plants and seed of uncommon bulbs are also much desired. There is also a certain demand for easily grown garden standards but in this regard see comments on the Unacceptable Seed List below. North American members in particular are urged to collect more seed of alpine plants in the wild.

    Unacceptable Seed

    Although the Seed Exchange is charged to include "plants suitable for rock gardens," in practice it offers opportunities to obtain unusual plants of many kinds. However, certain items are not desirable; some of these will be discarded if received, and others will simply cause useless work and be discarded after orders are filled. In general, the following kinds of plants should not be sent to the Seed Exchange:

  • Common trees and large shrubs, unless wild collected;
  • Annuals or large perennials available from commercial seed catalogs;
  • Plants taller than 1 meter requiring frost-free culture;
  • Cultivars of common groups such as Hemerocallis, Hosta, or bearded iris;
  • Aquatic plants;
  • Food plants of little ornamental value;
  • Large quantities of seed of large plants like Clematis cultivars, Eryngium or Eupatorium.


    • SEND QUESTIONS about donating seed to the 2008 Seed Exchange Intake Manager:
    Laura Serowicz, 15411 Woodring Street, Livonia, MI 48154-3029 USA or seedintake@twmi.rr.com
    Confirmation of your seed donation and donor number will be sent by email if you include your email address on the donation form. Otherwise, the list of all donors and donor numbers will be included in the Seed List. Do not send requests for seed to this address.