What plant is canary seed from?

This Spring we require additional area of Canary Seed. Low production levels in Canada mean markets are set to remain high in 2023.

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Where do canary seeds come from?
What is canary seed made of?
What are canary seeds?
Does canary seed grow?

We are currently offering our VERY HIGH contract prices for next year.

Canary Seed (Phalaris canariensis) is an annual grass and should not be confused with Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea) which is perennial and very invasive.

Canary Seed produces a small buff coloured seed and is used in birdseed mixtures. Currently, most of the Canary seed used in the UK is imported from North America.

Things have changed a bit since childhood, when feeding the birds meant cutting up stale bread and scraps and putting them onto the bird table.

In 2009 the wild bird food industry in the UK was worth £365 m of which £120 m is thought to be in "seeds", many of which are or could be UK sourced.

Although Canary Seed had been grown on a small scale in the UK for many years, it was not until the CAP Mid Term Review removed crop-specific support that the opportunity for UK farmers to grow significant areas of Canary Seed took off.

The crop is straightforward to grow and harvest and has proved to be very profitable relative to other Spring sown options.

Where do canary seeds come from?

Recent research carried out at the CDC has outlined the nutritive value of the seeds of canaryseed, and the dehulled glabrous type has been approved as a food product in Canada and the United States. The major canaryseed producing countries are Canada, Hungary, and Argentina.

What is canary seed made of?

Canary seed is a cereal obtained from the seed heads of the plant Phalaris canariensis L., which is a member of the Poaceae family. The common cereal crops wheat, barley, rye and oat also belong to the Poaceae family of plants.

What are canary seeds?

Canary Seed (Phalaris canariensis) is an annual grass and should not be confused with Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea) which is perennial and very invasive. Canary Seed produces a small buff coloured seed and is used in birdseed mixtures.

Does canary seed grow?

The canary seed plant is annual and reaches a height of one meter in 3 or 4 months, as its roots are almost superficial, it suffers from heat and drought. That is why it needs climatic and soil conditions very similar to those of wheat. Care must be taken not to plant too densely because the seeds will be smaller.