NATIVE SEED SERVICES & MIXES​​
Expert Native Seed Services from Start to Finish
​Great Bear Native Plants' team is here to support your project goals from seed to establishment.
Whether you are working on habitat creation, mining reclamation, or municipal landscaping, we provide comprehensive seed services to ensure a successful project.
From ethical seed collection to custom mix formulation, we are equipped to support your project goals from the ground up.
Why Choose Our Seeds?
We're more than just a seed supplier. Great Bear is a dedicated, family and woman-owned native plant nursery deeply invested in the restoration of the Intermountain West. Our proven success record includes bidding and collaborating with municipalities, state agencies, and federal partners across Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, and Utah.
When you partner with us, you get a team that actively helps build realistic timelines, coordinates with planting crews, and navigates the complex logistics of environmental reclamation.
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Proven Large-Scale Production: Supplying long-term projects across MT, ID, WY, NV, UT, and the Intermountain West.
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Restoration-Driven Expertise: We bring decades of hands-on experience in native plant ecology and reclamation to your team.
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Contract-Grade Reliability: A trusted partner with a proven success record bidding and working alongside municipalities, state agencies, and federal partners.
Seed & Cutting Collection
We specialize in site-specific native seed and cutting collection. Whether your site requires riparian, transition, or upland species, we ethically source the right plant material to meet your exact ecological requirements and project specifications.
Comprehensive Seed Solutions
Sourcing, Cleaning, & Storing Native Plant Materials
Protecting the genetic integrity and viability of native seed is critical to the long-term success of any revegetation effort. We provide end-to-end seed management to ensure your materials are ethically sourced, perfectly processed, and ready exactly when your project demands. From wildcrafting in specific elevations to preserving your inventory in our specialized nursery, our comprehensive seed solutions are designed to protect your investment and meet exacting ecological standards.
Cleaning & Storage
Protecting the viability of your native seed is critical to the success of your revegetation efforts. We provide professional seed cleaning and long-term storage services, ensuring your materials are preserved and ready exactly when your planting schedule demands.
Custom Seed Mixes & Material Brokering
No two restoration sites are identical. We formulate and blend custom seed mixes tailored specifically to your site’s soil, climate, and elevation. To streamline your project management, we also broker supplementary materials, including wetland sod, whips, specialized seed mixes, and FertPaks—giving you a single, trusted source for your restoration materials.
Seed Collection & Processing Rates
Pricing for Labor, Logistics, & Testing
Whether your project requires our teams in the field wildcrafting site-specific genetics, or in our facility processing your inventory, we offer straightforward rate structures. Our seed services are priced to transparently accommodate the unique logistics, travel, and quality assurance required for complex native plant restoration.
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Labor Rates: Seed Collection, Driving Labor, and Seed Cleaning Labor are all billed at $80/hr.
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Travel Expenses: For field collection, per diem is $60/day per person. Lodging is billed at cost plus 10%.
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Logistics & Fulfillment: Shipping and shipping supplies are billed at cost plus 10%.
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Procurement & Testing: Bought-in seed and professional seed testing services are provided at cost plus 10%.
Recommended Seeding Rates:​
Mix
500 sq ft
1,000 sq ft
.25 acre
.5 acre
1 acre
0.5-1 lbs
1-2 lbs
2 lbs
2-4 lbs
3-7 lbs
0.5-1 lbs
1 lb
1.5-2.5 lbs
3-5 lbs
6-10 lbs
Native Plant Seed & Storage Services FAQs
Why is site-specific native seed collection important for restoration?
Successful reclamation requires genetically appropriate seed. While exotic species or generic seed mixes can provide temporary ground cover, native plants are biologically adapted to the exact climate, soil, and precipitation patterns of your local landscape. Locally adapted, site-specific native seed establishes faster and has a significantly higher long-term survival rate, ensuring your project creates a resilient ecosystem rather than a temporary fix.
How is native seed stored, and how long does it remain viable?
The viability of native seed deteriorates rapidly if exposed to high temperatures and humidity. Industry standards dictate the "Rule of 100"—meaning the storage temperature (Fahrenheit) plus the relative humidity percentage should never exceed 100. Great Bear Native Plants provides secure, climate-controlled long-term storage specifically designed to prevent embryo destruction and mold, ensuring your seed inventory remains highly viable until your planting schedule demands it.
How do you price your seed collection and processing services?
We believe in transparent pricing for the complex logistics required in native plant restoration. Seed collection labor, driving labor, and seed cleaning labor are all billed at a standard rate of $80/hour. For field collection, a standard per diem of $60/day applies. Any third-party logistics, shipping, or materials are billed simply at cost plus 10%.
Do you test seed for viability and purity?
Yes. Knowing the exact purity and germination rate of your seed is critical for calculating accurate seeding rates and ensuring project success. We facilitate professional, third-party seed testing services for our clients, provided at cost plus 10%.
Why should I invest in a custom native seed mix instead of an off-the-shelf blend?
Standard commercial or exotic pasture blends (like smooth brome) are often used to quickly vegetate disturbed sites, but they frequently come at a long-term ecological cost by reducing biodiversity and altering natural fire regimes. Custom native mixes are formulated specifically for the unique riparian, transition, or upland conditions of your site. Because native plants develop vastly deeper, more complex root systems, a custom mix provides superior, permanent erosion control and essential habitat for local wildlife.