Randi Eckel, Founder of Toadshade Wildflower Farm
March 2017
Randi Eckel talks about the dizzying array of mechanisms, including chemical-induced dormancy and mandatory cold stratification, that our native plants have developed to ensure that their seeds disperse, persevere, and germinate at just the right time under natural conditions. These mechanisms are not in place to frustrate would-be plant propagators, but must be understood by gardeners to successfully grow native plants from seed. Her talk helps all of us learn more about issues surrounding seed collection, procurement, and propagation.
Randi Eckel has a PhD in entomology has been studying native plant seed propagation and plant-insect interactions for over thirty years. She is the founder of Toadshade Wildflower Farm, which supplies both seeds and plants of species native to eastern North America.