ECO-SOURCING PLANTS
Seasoned hands collect the seed from where the mature plants will return.
Eco-sourced plants are grown from seeds harvested by our experienced team from naturally-occurring vegetation ensuring diversity and longevity.
Naturally at home.
Plants adapt and evolve to their conditions and local habitat, which makes eco-sourcing vital for success. Eco-sourced plants are grown from seeds collected in the area close to where they will be replanted as part of a native planting project.
It’s an essential part of a restoration project both ecologically and culturally - the plants will be suited to local conditions and more likely to survive. It also helps maintain the area's unique local characteristics and respects the whakapapa of the plants - the local lineage. Eco-sourcing avoids the risk of planting species which are not native to the local area, and that could become invasive.
-
Sourcing to nature's schedule.
Sourcing is seasonal work - varying by plant, place and the year's weather conditions. As it ripens, seed will either fall or change colour. For any given species of plant, seed ripeness is usually a window of one or two months, so we often need to check plants several times over the period for the best seed.
-
Finding the fighters.
All our seed collectors avoid collecting from areas where there is a chance of cross-pollination from common nearby garden plants. They venture along forest margins or along tracks and stream edges where hardy new growth shows viable plants are pushing through.
-
A respectful harvest.
We collect a little seed off a lot of plants of the same species – this ensures a broader range of genetic material. Seed is only ever taken from sound, healthy species, and of course – some seed is always left on the plant for natural regeneration.
Nature adapts.
Growing from seed rather than cuttings ensures wider genetic diversity and reduces the potential risks of disease eliminating a weak genetic line - something especially important with slow maturing, long-living trees. It takes a bit longer, but the results are incomparable.
DID YOU KNOW?
Some wetland seeds have hooks on them so they can hitchhike around on waterfowl.
Let’s grow. Together.
We’re easy to deal with. That’s another promise.