what plant does niger seed come from
Overview. Black thistle bird seed is known as Niger, Nyger or Nyjer seed. The plant that produces the seed is not related to a thistle, but the tiny seed resemble the seeds of the thistle plant.The seeds are widely cultivated in Asia and Africa for their oil content, as a livestock feed and for export as a bird seed feed.yjer seed from bird seed is heat-treated to prevent germination before export. About 80 percent of the seeds are rendered incapable of germination through this method, but the remaining 20 percent will sprout. The plant produces an abundance of yellow flowers, and each flower head contains 30 to 40 seeds.