Seed list November 2011  >>
Seed bank request form  >>	In 'Downloads' section when you login
How to join the CPS  >>

N.B. Seed is not available to non-members of The Society.

The seed bank of the Carnivorous Plant Society is the best that any CP society in the world has to offer. We have a large supply of seeds, with many different species available at any one time. The bank is constantly being added to as the seed is harvested from ripening pods, with the list being regularly updated and shown here on our website. We source some of our supply of seed from suppliers across the world as well as from members, thus ensuring a wide selection, including some of the more rare varieties and some of the common ones as well. All current members have a yearly seed allowance and an option to purchase extra packets, as well as an incentive scheme. Here’s how to apply for you allocation:

All seed applications must be on the form provided. Simply download the form and print it before filling it in and sending it to the address on the top of the page. We cannot accept email applications in the first instance because a return envelope is needed in order to send your seed back to you, but if you make sure you put your email address in the space provided at the top of the form, I will contact you if I cannot fulfill your seed request. Please put as many alternatives as you can on the form, if I don’t have to contact you for alternative choices, your seed will be returned to you much quicker. If you don’t know what seed to request, let me know your growing conditions and what you already have and I will make a selection for you.
Seed requests can only be accepted on the proper form. They must be accompanied by a LARGE letter first class stamped addressed envelope. Preferably it should be padded, so the seed isn’t crushed in the Royal Mail rollers. Members outside of the UK need to send a self addressed envelope along with an international reply coupon, form CN01 obtained from your local post office, please make sure the post office ink stamp it, to validate it.

Members in the USA will also require a ‘small lots of seed’ permit, and must enclose one of the green and yellow labels, supplied by the USDA. These permits are free from the USDA and I believe they can be applied for by email. For those who don’t know how this works. I will label your seed and post it to the USDA, who will then examine it before sending it on to you. This is a legal requirement as of May 2006 and no seed will be sent to the USA without one. I do have a copy of the basic permit that must accompany the shipment, so only the green and yellow labels and form CN01 Are required as well as a plain return padded envelope. This envelope does NOT need your address written on it.

This link is where you have to register for a permit. If you find the process complicated a member of the staff will help to guide you through it, just email them.

If you have any problems please contact The Seed Bank Manager

1> Entitlement is for one membership year, from 1st April to 31st March and cannot be carried over to another year.
2> The Seed Bank is closed in December.
3> Every member is entitled to an allowance of four free packets of seed per year.
4> Each member can then purchase two additional packets of seed at 50p each.
5> After this, no more seed can be purchased.
6> The only way to obtain more packets of seed is by the Extra Seed Packets Scheme, explained below.

EXTRA SEED PACKETS SCHEME:
We want the seed we offer to always be fresh with a large selection to choose from. To achieve this we offer an incentive scheme. We ask members to contribute their spare seed to the seed bank. So for every two packets of seed of DIFFERENT types you send in to the seed bank, we will give you one packet of the seed of your choice in return. This is extra to your yearly allowance. All packets of seed including the extra packets must be claimed by the end of the subscription year and cannot be carried over to the following year. The incentive scheme is the only way to obtain further supplies of seed from the bank.
Please note that Other than the two extra packets available on top of your four allotted packets, seed cannot be purchased from the seed bank.

If you take up the two extra packets for £1 offer, payments for these and any other extras such as GA3 or glassine envelopes should be paid for by cheque made out to, The carnivorous Plant society. Cash will be accepted but is posted at your own risk. The society holds no responsibility for any cash payments that go missing. It is therefore recommended that cash should be sent recorded delivery at the very least.

When you have seen what results you get from the seed you have obtained from the seed bank, please email me and let me know. Good or bad I am interested in your germination levels. Any seed that falls below an acceptable level of germination will be disposed of. I aim to make improvements wherever they are needed, so that our seed bank is one that can always be relied upon for good quality seed.

I will do my best to post your seed within a few days of receiving your requests. There will be occasions when I may be held up so please allow me 28 days for delivery.
Extras Available For Sale From The Society:
The Society Seed Bank Manager can now sell you.
Gibberellic Acid (GA3) for £1.50 GBP with a SAE.
Glassine Envelopes 20 for £1.00 GBP with a SAE.
The CPS seed growing guide. The guide is 3 x A4 sheets printed both sides with information. 50p with a SAE. OUT OF STOCK, but please ask if you need help, I can always email you with some basic instructions

All items are sold GBP only and a self stamped addressed envelope with each order.

Please complete this form .print it out and send with your money and a SAE to Sheila Little, address on the form.

Seed Donations:
We have had some past problems with labeling, especially with hybrids. Cultivars are named after a specific single plant, which has been named for its special qualities. Cultivars therefore can only be propagated by division. Please label your plants with the names of the exact plants you have used to create the hybrid and don’t try to give it a special name because you have seen that crossing named that in a book or on a web page.

There are some simple hybrids that are found in the wild and these can be given the hybrid name. However so that we can be sure your plants are not self pollinated, please just use the parent names used in pollination on the labels. The reason we ask this is because if you self pollinate a catesbaei or even cross it with another catesbaei, the resulting seed is no longer catesbaei, but is likely to revert back to one parent plant or the other. For this reason any seed sent in with a simple hybrid name such as popei, catesbaei or any of the other simple hybrid names will be assumed to be self pollinated and will be placed in the unknown hybrid mixed bag.

If you can provide any other information with the seeds such as location details of the parent plants, please send it in clearly marked on the seed packet. This information would be sent out along with the seed and could prove extremely useful in years to come. Populations of Sarracenia are rapidly disappearing from the wild, so location details could be an invaluable historical record for future growers.

If you are not sure which of your plants was the pollinator of your seed, please label it as S. mixed and send it in anyway. Some members do ask for the mixed hybrid seed, but any that is not used for the list is sold at shows we attend. It is a good starter seed for people just starting out growing carnivorous plants and it helps to increase our funds.

All names of people who donate seed to the seed bank will be included in the final newsletter of the year.
If anyone wishes to purchase Glassine envelopes or GA3, please either send for them when you are having your seed request sent out, or send an SAE or IRC with your payment. Gibberelic acid can also be requested in place of one of your seed requests.
Continuing improvement of the seed bank is important to me. I am very interested to know your results from the seed you receive, good or bad. I hope that all the seed you get from the seed bank will be good viable seed, but on occasions things can go wrong.  Any seed that falls below an acceptable germination rate will be disposed of, but I can only know there is a problem if you let me know.

Happy Growing

The Seed Bank Manager