Restoration begins with a seed, but having enough of the right seed, from the right place, is one of the biggest challenges facing native plant restoration in southern Ontario.
Through funding to create and enhance seed orchards, Carolinian Canada is helping partners build local capacity needed to produce diverse, regionally appropriate native seed and plants for years to come. Together, these projects are establishing or expanding nearly 15 hectares of seed-producing landscapes across southern Ontario.
These are more than planting projects. They are investments in the people, partnerships, knowledge, and infrastructure needed to strengthen a resilient native seed supply.
At Grey Bruce Native Seed Bank, activities support the continued development of the Duncan Seed Orchard. Approximately 70 volunteers, students, and conservation partners are involved in collecting and cleaning wild seed, propagation, planting, and ongoing orchard stewardship. At Persephone Market Garden, a new seed orchard is being established, expanding the availability of diverse, locally adapted seed for restoration.
Other projects are strengthening existing operations. Origin Native Plants is developing a dedicated seed orchard supported by hoop houses, parent beds, and seed-processing infrastructure, with careful records to maintain seed integrity and traceability. Bee Sweet Nature Co. is expanding its existing orchard to increase both the number of species and range of provenances grown. At Native Plants in Claremont, the Sun Seed Orchard is producing seed for nursery production while also welcoming visitors to learn about mature native plants and pollinators.
Several projects connect seed production with restoration and learning. McMaster’s five-hectare project integrates prairie restoration, native seed collection, propagation, research and teaching, alongside consultation with Indigenous knowledge holders. Alter Eden connects seed growing with youth leadership and stewardship education through partnerships with the Toronto District School Board and the Minogin Gitigaanis First Nations Stewardship Training Program.
At Kayanase, one hectare is supporting the expansion of its meadow and woodland seed orchards. The team has finalized plans to add 271 plants to the meadow seed orchard, with planting planned for the spring. The woodland seed orchard is also being prepared for additional plantings, including plans to rescue woodland plants from a construction site in Six Nations and incorporate them into the orchard. Looking ahead, Kayanase is continuing to plan for new seed orchards at its site, with site preparation beginning later in the spring and planting targeted for the fall.
Partnership is also at the heart of work led by Ephemeral Ark Nursery, Thames Talbot Land Trust, The Greenery Farm, and others, where seed is ethically collected, propagated over multiple years, and established in orchards or restoration sites. Swallowtail Native Plants is developing production beds for 75 species, including plants that are difficult to source through Ontario’s existing native seed economy, while sharing knowledge with emerging native plant businesses and the wider community.
From small orchard plots to multi-hectare landscapes, each project contributes to a larger vision: more locally sourced seed, stronger regional supply chains, greater genetic diversity, and more capacity to restore native ecosystems.
By investing in seed sources today, these partners are helping ensure that the seeds needed for tomorrow’s restoration are available, and that the knowledge and relationships to grow them continue to flourish.