Collecting seeds from geraniums can be tricky because they have a spring-loaded seed distribution system which means that as soon as the seed is ripe they are pinged away from the plant for up to 3 meters.

A further complication is that many of the modern cultivars are sterile so produce no seed at all. These will typically be the ones sold by garden centres with non-latin marketing names.

So if you have a geranium you want to take seed from you first need to closely inspect the ‘seed heads’ a look to see if there are 5 firm bulging pods at the base of the central flower spike. If so then here are the visual clues for the right stage for collecting the seed:

The far left pair are too green still, you need to wait until not only the central spike but also the seed cases at the foot of it begin to darken. The middle two are perfect - black spike and dark seed pods. The two on the right are too late and the seed has been released and you can see the remains of one of the springs.

These are seeds from geranium pratense but it would be the same for any fertile geranium plant.

i collect them by carefully cuppying my hand round a pair (they tend to grow in pairs) of ripe seedheads and cutting with scissors. Pulling runs the risk of triggering the plant to ping away its’ seeds. Then place the seedheads in a paper bag and leave to ping away by themselves for a week or so. If sown fresh they may germinate quickly, otherwise they may want a cold spell to get them to germinate so leave a seed tray somewhere where it can get the frost but not be too soggy.

Collecting geranium seeds