Seed of the Week: Filaree

Are you ready to find out what those twisty seed pods were from?

filaree-flower

Would you believe this delicate, lovely flower produced them? This plant is called filaree, or sometimes heron’s bill or stork’s bill (Genus Erodium).

Why heron’s bill?

filaree-seedpods

Don’t the developing fruit look like bird beaks?

filaree-seedpod-dried

As the seed structures dry, they twist and drill the seed into the ground.

You can actually get the filaree to drive itself into bread (check Kaweah Oaks Preserve for how to do this fun activity).

We discovered another species while we were in California.

california-filaree

The fruit of this kind are shorter.

According to one source I read, these plants were brought over from Europe by the early Spanish explorers.

Do you have filaree where you live?

2 Comments

  1. Pax Irvione

    Where can I aquire some filaree seed?

  2. Roberta

    Pax,

    If you live in an area where the plants grow, picking the seeds yourself is your best bet.

    Mr. Smarty pants had this answer: http://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=2407, but when I tried to search the Texas site he suggests, I didn’t get anywhere.

    If you do find a source, be sure to let us know.

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