A Detailed Guide to Sowing, Seedling Raising, Harvesting and Storing Blackberry Lily Seeds

Blackberry lily seeds are the propagation material of blackberry lily (Belamcanda chinensis), a perennial herbaceous plant in the iris family (Iridaceae). The rhizome of blackberry lily is a traditional Chinese medicinal material, and the plant also has good ornamental value. Its capsules mostly mature in autumn, and after the fruit shells split open they reveal large numbers of black, glossy, nearly spherical seeds that look very much like blackberries and are highly recognizable. When collecting seeds, the fruit is generally harvested after it turns yellowish brown, then dried in the sun and threshed, and kept for sowing.

Sowing is mostly arranged in spring or autumn, and seeds newly harvested in the same year usually show better germination. Before sowing, the seeds can be soaked in warm water to soften the seed coat and allow them to absorb water fully, then sown in drills or broadcast on a seedbed that has been leveled and raked fine, covered with a thin layer of soil and kept moist. After emergence, weeds should be removed promptly and seedlings thinned; once the seedlings reach a certain height, they can be transplanted to the field for final planting.

In terms of use, blackberry lily is used medicinally for its rhizome, often for clearing heat and detoxifying, and for soothing the throat and reducing swelling, while the seeds themselves mainly serve the task of propagation and seedling raising. Compared with division propagation, seed propagation can yield a relatively large number of seedlings at one time and is suitable for expanding the scale of planting, but the growth cycle from sowing to rhizome harvest is longer, so growers can choose a suitable propagation method according to their production plans.

It should be noted that blackberry lily seeds do not store well; the longer they are kept, the more obviously their germination capacity declines, so it is best to sow them as soon as they are collected, or store them short-term in a cool, dry place. During seedling raising, avoid waterlogging in the seedbed to prevent seeds and sprouts from rotting, and at the same time carry out weeding and moderate shading; only with proper management can neat and sturdy seedlings be raised.