Houstonia canadensis

I should have had Houstonia canadensis seeds announced ‘officially’ together with Lobelia kalmii; only that it takes more time to process some fruits to see how many seeds will be available.
In the Friday’s Seeds topic idea, we also have a picture with Houstonia fruits and seeds. The fruits are small, hard, dehiscent capsules which contain tiny, black seeds.

Similar in look when in flower to the previously offered H. longifolia, in Houstonia canadensis the basal, rosette leaves are usually pubescent above and with ciliate margins (Flora of Michigan); in fact the species is reported as being variable in the shape of the leaves and in the amount of pubescence. In H. longifolia the leaves are glabrous. If not for taking the close up picture when attracted by the beautiful foliage changing color, it would have been impossible to identify it. It is always good to take the time for close-up pictures.

Houstonia canadensis flowers

Houstonia canadensis foliage fall

You can grow the Canada Summer bluet together with few of its wild companions, like: Lobelia kalmii, Campanula rotundifolia, Solidago simplex var. ontarioense, Primula mistassinica, Prunus pumila and Clinopodium arkansanum.

Even if some of these species grow in alvars, they adapt well to garden growing conditions, on any limestone/calcareous substrate. So far, I would say that only an acidic substrate will pose a problem when growing these species. I grow them all, in various garden locations and instead of Canada Summer Bluet I have H. longifolia.

They all enjoy a full to part-sun, moist towards dry location, which is moist at least seasonally.
You can use the edge of a border/rockery that gets more moisture after snowmelt, when it rains heavily, or where the water gathers naturally due to the ground gradient.

And, because many of these species have fine seeds which require superficial sowing, a picture with Primula mistassinica seedlings with explanations.

Primula mistassinica seedlings, a couple of Castilleja miniata seedlings can be seen to the right

The seeds were sown on top of the substrate in late fall (2022) in a larger pot (together with few other species with fine seeds that require superficial sowing) and covered with very fine gravel to prevent washing out. The pot has stayed outdoors over the winter; in early spring a thick layer of ice had formed on top of it and during melting moved around some of the seeds (lesson learned – remove part of the snow in late winter/early spring).

Lobelia kalmii, Campanula rotundifolia which are now planted in the garden were obtained in the same way. You can use the same method and sow a few similar species with fine seeds together in a larger container and then gradually transplant the seedlings when they grow up. Or, keep the sowing container as it is!

You can find all these species in the SEEDs List.

Lobelia kalmii and other Seeds

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Moist seeds speaking, Caulophyllum thalictroides inventory has been replenished. I know it seems there is a lot of time left until the temperatures will start to plunge, but there are other things to take into consideration, like some seeds starting to germinate (Asarum seeds emerge their radicles at some point in November) or being sold out (Medeola virginiana, Trillium flexipes).

Dry seeds speaking, the inventory has been replenished for:
Campanula rotundifolia (still flowering, on-going collection)
Drosera linearis
Pinguicula vulgaris and
Primula mistassinica

For those who like to plan their orders, next to follow next week from the native species side: Houstonia canadensis, Clinopodum arkansanum, Gillenia trifoliata and maybe Delphinium exaltatum. Stay tuned…

Lobelia kalmii, Kalm’s Lobelia

And a short plant portrait for a new offering – Lobelia kalmii, Kalm’s Lobelia

A bit similar in look to the previously offered Lobelia spicata, Lobelia kalmii is a small size, floriferous and delicate looking plant with blue/lavender flowers that can be found in moist places such as sandy, gravely meadows, fens, tamarack (larix) swamps. It is also common growing in rock crevices and among boulders on the rocky shores of Lake Huron.

Looks like a perfect species to incorporate in the moist side of a rockery, or any other slightly moist garden location (edge of a border, ponds, waterfalls….). It may be delicate looking, just like Campanula rotundifolia, but perfectly cold hardy.

It is easy to grow from seeds and flowering in the second year after sowing in my garden. I just kept the seedlings with too much shade and they got elongated, but otherwise it is an easy going species (beware acidic substrates though).

The species and common names honor Pehr (Peter) Kalm, a Swedish-Finnish botanist, explorer and naturalist, student of Carl Linnaeus, who undertook the exploration of Northern N. American regions around 1748. Linnaeus will cite Kalm for about 90 species, many of them new, also naming the genus Kalmia in his honor.

At the end of the season, it is difficult to differentiate L. kalmii from L. spicata when they are found growing in the same locations. I suspect that last year, at least part of the seeds offered as L. spicata were from L. kalmii, so those who purchased seeds please get in touch to learn how to differentiate them after flowering: Contact form. 

September seeds

Many thanks to all customers who are placing orders at this time!
Due to the on-going seeds collecting and updating of the inventory, the shipping of the orders may be a bit slower than usual. Also, while I appreciate the enthusiasm, please keep the orders short for now; focus on the moist packed species category, Helleborus, Aralia, and all others that require immediate sowing.

For customers new to growing from seeds, especially moist-packed species, please review: FAQ – moist packed seeds.
And don’t forget to read various articles from the Germination page.

Latest seeds collected:
Caulophyllum thalictroides, which has been shown so many times, and the germination discussed at length; the inventory will be replenished next  week.

Also, two species that require first a bit of double checking before becoming available: Houstonia canadensis, Canada summer bluets and Lobelia kalmii, Kalm’s Lobelia.

In late summer we can always admire various native Lobelia species, both in the garden and wild areas. Not only they are colorful and beautiful, they are also invaluable for all pollinators. There is no rush to purchase the seeds tough; they require a moist/cold stratification – i.e. sowing to be done in late fall/early winter.

Lobelia kalmii

Lobelia siphilitica white and Ipomopsis rubra

Lobelia siphilitica

BotanyCa early fall Seeds List

The Seeds Shop is open for orders!

The early fall Seeds List has been updated as much as possible, with an emphasis on the moist packed seeds. Other species that may be available later have been marked; but the success of fruits/seeds collecting cannot be a sure thing!
Please read the notes with various announcements from the top of the List before ordering; as well the Shipping & Delivery page, otherwise you may not be able to place orders.
Everyone will notice that the Shipping and Handling rates have remained the same. I gave up on the idea of this ever becoming a profitable endeavour, but we must continue to grow plants from seeds!

Available Helleborus species; Hydrastis canadensis – moist packed seeds; Hydrophyllum canadense – may become available later.

I will continue with plant portraits and seeds announcements throughout the fall. Sowing-wise we should concentrate on those species that require sowing right away like:

ALL Moist Packed seeds! – written in green (they cannot be shipped in the winter); please remain aware of dubious on-line offers in this regard.
Paeonia and Helleborus species
Lilium species
the newly offered Streptopus species
Actaea, Aralia, Hydrophyllum, Ilex , Cornus

We remain committed to only collecting a small quantity of seeds from the wild areas, and only from well-established populations. Therefore, we have to be less wasteful and learn how to make due with less. I am sure that sometimes packets with seeds remain forgotten in some drawer… Like in the previous years, species with limited seeds in the stock can only be ordered as 1 pck./person. All the other species, at least for the beginning of the season, can be purchased in max. 2 pck. /person.

Many thanks, as always, to those few friends who generously contribute with seeds, enriching our Shop offerings.

Without further ado – To the seeds and sowing! Thank you all!
It is a continuous learning and rewarding experience like no other.

 

 

Podophyllum peltatum, the Mayapple

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For plant collectors, the Podophyllum name sparks instantly the ‘rare plants’ lust. Like with the Arisaema species, unfortunately the North American continent wasn’t left with much: only one Podophyllum species, the Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum. It is a wonderful wildflower with personality which will slowly form a colony in suitable conditions in the forests/ or woodland garden.

Podophyllum peltatum erupting from the ground in early spring

The genus name comes from the Greek ‘anapodophyllum’ meaning a leaf like the foot (podos) of a duck (anas) and peltatum – refers to the specific attachment of the leaf stalk near the center of the leaf blade.

Mayapples can be found in deciduous forests, both in bottomlands and on drier sites. Large colonies usually develop in places with more moisture. Although they can grow in dry places, underneath the trees, in very dry years, they can go dormant in early fall. Some of its companion plants are: Sanguinaria canadensis, Caulophyllum thalictroides, Trillium grandiflorum, Uvularia grandiflora….

Mayapples emerge in early spring with a couple of tightly closed leaves, which expand umbrella-like afterwards and cover one solitary, white, waxy flower somewhere in May; if pollinaton was successful,  ‘green apples’ will form. Unfortunately, the frequency of successful pollination is not high in Mayapple flowers, even if various pollinators visit the flowers.

Podophyllum peltatum flowers

Podophyllum peltatum fruit

Podophyllum peltatum ripe fruits

Therefore, the fruit set rates are often low for individual colonies of plants, and even more, I have noticed that in years with drought most fruits are aborted. The ripe fruits are the only part of the plant that’s not toxic, and are called “hog apples” or “wild lemons”. They become yellow and fragrant when fully ripe, usually in mid to late August (no idea why the ‘mayapple’ name). They are enjoyed by a variety of small animals, which are also the principal seed dispersers (the Eastern box turtle, gray squirrels, opossum, raccoons…).
So yes, Mayapple’s ripe fruits are edible, and you can even find recipes for jellies.

Medicinal importance

Even if the whole plant, except mature fruits, contains toxic substances, the Mayapple has also been a staple medicinal plant in the repertoire of the Indigenous Peoples, being used as: boiled roots (laxative), juice of the fresh rhizome (to improve hearing), powdered root (skin ulcers and sores, purgative), to mention just the well-known uses.
At some point, the Mayapple resin (extracted from the rhizome) was considered one the most powerful laxatives available, and it was even sold commercially (Carter’s Little Liver Pills in early 1900s), but because of the toxicity, this use has been discontinued.

More recently, pharmaceutical research proved that certain chemical constituents of the Podophyllum species can be used as anticancer agents. The substance responsible is called podophyllin and it is a resin contained in the rhizome (see the use of powder root to treat skin ulcers). This resin is composed of several toxic glycosides, the most active being podophyllotoxin. Derivatives of the podophyllotoxin (etoposide and teniposide) were formulated into anticancer drugs used in chemotherapy to inhibit the growth of tumors in various types of cancer.

 Propagation

Actually, all Podophyllum species are very easy to cultivate – all you need is shade…and seeds or rhizomes cuttings. You can read a detailed account for growing Mayapple from seeds here:  Growing Podophyllum from seeds.
It is not difficult if you follow the directions. Mayapple seeds need to be sown fresh, if not moist packed, in order to obtain good germination. Be aware of companies selling dry kept seeds!!!

Podophyllum peltatum first year seedlings with cotyledon leaves in 2018; these are grown up by now and flowering!

Patience is required like with all other rhizomatous species, which are slow to develop in the first years. From seeds they will flower in 5-6 years.

As a side note, the seeds are enclosed in a sticky, mucilaginous mass, and are the most awful seeds to clean out! Ask everyone who has ever done it!

In dry years, the few formed fruits are aborted and offered seeds are quite rare, or available in tiny amounts. So, take advantage of this wet season when more fruits have been produced if you want to grow a few umbrellas in your woodland garden.

 

The Seeds Shop will open for orders next Monday, Aug. 28th – watch for the announcement and please do not order before!

 

 

Delphinium exaltatum portrait

A short plant portrait for Delphinium exaltatum today. Besides getting familiar with this Eastern North American larkspur, I want to emphasize the fact that for species starting to flower late in July or August, like all fall Gentian for example, seeds MAY become available only in very late fall October or even November.

The early fall Seeds List is taking shape and it may ready at the end of next week, fingers crossed; if not, by 1st of September. It will be announced.

Delphinium exaltatum, Tall larkspur

Delphinium exaltatum, shown here cultivated in the garden, is a native species with a rather limited distribution in a few Eastern US states. My plant was grown from seeds that were offered a few years ago in the shop, so other people should also have it in their gardens.

 It goes by the common name of Tall larkspur and the epithet ‘exaltatum’ also alludes to its height.
The leaves are palmate-lobed with narrow lobes, and the flowering stems can reach 1.6+ m, also depending on the growing conditions.

The lavender-blue flowers open gradually on loose, branched inflorescences in late summer, reason why it has a very long blooming period. They become the center of attention for various pollinators; particularly butterflies and the hummingbirds are in love with it.

It is said to dislike hot and humid conditions. For this reason in regions with hot summers (like SW Ontario) it does better in a part-shaded location with extra moisture. Otherwise a full sun location can be used. It may need staking, although I prefer to let mine to sway in the breeze.

Among other noticeable plants flowering in late summer, besides all the Echinacea, Rudbeckia and Eupatoriums, are various Gentians: Gentiana septemfida towards the end of flowering, Gentiana paradoxa just starting, Iris dichotoma,  Platycodon, Lomelosia olgae, Ziziphora clinopodioides…

Delphinium exaltatum, Tall larkspur

Gentiana dahurica

Gentiana septemfida

Iris dichotoma

Platycodon ‘Sentimental Blue’

Lomelosia olgae

About Luetkea pectinata

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Luetkea pectinata, Partridgefoot, is an endemic plant of Western North America, in alpine and subalpine areas, extending from Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia, and east into Northwest Territories, Alberta, Idaho, and Montana, as well as South into Washington, Oregon and California. Apparently it is a common plant in BC, in alpine and subalpine zones, but not everyone has the chance to reach these places so I thought a plant portrait would be useful.

The partridge foot, is a ground hugging, evergreen sub-shrub forming extensive mats along rocky slopes, in meadows of moist open coniferous forest at subalpine and alpine level, where the snow cover usually start melting late toward early summer.
It is stoloniferous, reason why in favorable locations it can cover large areas, to an extent hard to imagine, until one sees it. You will also notice in pictures that with the help of stolons, it can easily populate the surface of large boulders, if it finds a thin layer of substrate to grow on, or it will grow in the boulders crevices.
It is also found growing in heathlands associations with Phyllodoce empetrifolia and Cassiope mertensiana, which is a good hint about the type of substrate it requires (pictures taken in Revelstoke area and Glacier National Park).

Luetkea pectinata meadow with Phyllodoce empetriformis

Luetkea pectinata with Antennaria lanata in an alpine meadow

Luetkea pectinata growth habit, stolons

Seeds will be offered (in limited quantity) in the fall Seeds List, so take hints for cultivation from this information. We always need to try to emulate the natural growing conditions, especially for species growing at high elevations. It would make for an excellent crevice plant in a moist rockery.

The species was first collected in Sitka, Alaska and the genus Luetkea, with its only species L. pectinata, commemorates the early 1800s German-Russian military man and Arctic explorer with the name of Friedrich Benjamin Graff von Lutke (or Fydor Petrovich Litke), who charted the Alaskan coast in 1827.

Luetkea pectinata, Partridge foot, in flower in late July, Revelstoke area, BC

The common name Partridge foot, alludes to the fan-shaped leaves which are crowded in tick tufts, and upon a superficial look, one can think it resembles at a Saxifraga. However, the genus belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae, more specifically related with Spiraea). Some sources also call it Alaska Spiraea. Also, the specific epithet ‘pectinata’ alludes to the foliage, meaning ‘scalloped’ in Latin.

The flowers are white-creamy on dense, elongated clusters about 10 cm high, and later capsule-like, aggregate of follicles develop, which take a red color close to maturation; same it happens with the foliage, especially in exposed situations. The late summer/fall red coloration during fruiting enhances its appeal.

The dry follicles will open in late summer to release the fine, linear seeds about 3 mm long.
By the aspect of growing mats, it seems that its main propagation in the wild is happening by stolons.

Propagation: cuttings/detaching rosettes would be the easiest way to go, but we only have the option of growing it from seeds. According with various sources, the seeds will germinate at room temperature, without any need of cold stratification, which is good news. The seeds being very fine, we have to sow superficial and top up the pot with fine gravel or other such substrate to prevent the seeds desiccation. Use a very porous mix by adding perlite to a regular sowing mix, and keep evenly moist.

Another method I mentioned often for fine, small seeds is to enclose the pot in a plastic bag until the germination starts, then use the bag as a sort of coverall until the seedlings gain strength.
And of course, we can use the dome trays that many people found very handy. I never use heating mats for seeds germination, although they are often mentioned in various protocols, so I think they are not really necessary.

Luetkea pectinata seeds and fruits aspect; 1 mm grid

You can read detailed propagation protocols for it and other related species (see also Vaccinium membranaceum ;) here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm06232815/page19.htm

The reason this species is rarely seen in cultivation, at least in Canada, is probably due to the difficulty of establishing the seedlings. Probably SW Ontario location is too dry to grow it, but those in up-north regions, BC and Eastern provinces, should have better chances to cultivate this beautiful native wildflower.
We won’t know until we give it a try!

Shop & seeds

As previously announced, the Seeds Shop is currently closed for orders until further notice – Please respect this announcement posted all over the website!

The off-selling period allows me to collect, clean and process the seeds, write the material to be uploaded on the website, update/delete previous offerings, research seeds germination requirements, not to mention attending to all the other technicalities related to the website.
In order to produce a new Fall Seeds List, some time off is necessary.

 

Thank you for your understanding!

Latest seeds collected: Uvularia grandiflora, Lonicera dioica, Lonicera hirsuta and Clintonia borealis.

Early August Seeds updates

Start your wish list and be ready for the late summer Shop re-opening!
Various species should have priority for late summer sowing, requiring a slightly warm cycle before the cold one (winter) for best germination.
From this category, just collected and in the process of cleaning/sorting out:

Hydrastis canadensis
Paeonia officinalis (+ few other peonies will be ready soon)

Wild collections:

Erythronium grandiflorum
Streptopus amplexifolius – dark fruit form

Erythronium grandiflorum in habitat

Streptopus amplexifolius – dark fruit

I have had good results by sowing previously collected Eryhtronium grandiflorum seeds directly in the ground, and I recommend this method now, especially for those not very experienced in growing bulbous species from seeds, like myself :)

What else? Incarvillea delavayi, Gladiolus tenuis and Salvia austriaca from the garden; Anemone (Pulsatilla) occidentalis, Erigeron peregrinus and Leptarrhena pyrolifolia (Leatherleaf saxifrage) – wild, to mention just a few.
Until next…

From the working bench: seeds collecting

The seeds collecting is in high drive nowadays. For some species, all fruits mature and are collected at the same time, for others it is an on-going process.

BotanyCa seeds, clockwise: Dianthus carthusianorum, Centaurea jankae, Penstemon saxosorum, Aristolochia steupii, Paeonia veitchii, Actaea x ludovici (only for show) and Trillium grandiflorum (capsules just about to release the seeds, which will be moist packed right away)

When collecting fruits & seeds of the dry type (capsules, achenes…) either for yourself or for trading with friends and various seeds exchanges, always use paper holders, envelopes, any other type of paper-made envelopes and my favorites: coffee filters!
They are absorbent and you can easily write on them. Fold them neatly to form a nice envelope when collecting and/or leave them open later for the fruits/seeds to dry out. I also use them for temporarily holding fleshy fruits until the seeds get cleaned out.

Even the most dry-looking fruits will still hold moisture for a while, so even when collecting in paper envelopes in the garden/wild, always transfer and spread them on larger surfaces for a few weeks, before sorting out the seeds and placing them in the holding envelopes (paper or glassine).

Glassine envelopes hold moisture and are not good for keeping freshly collected fruits/seeds!

So, buy yourself a large batch of coffee filters, if you don’t already have them, and start collecting seeds!

 

Seeds Shop: closed for orders

As previously announced, starting tomorrow we won’t accept new orders – until further notice (late Aug./September), depending on how the collecting of seeds goes. Many thanks to all who placed orders for those species that need an early summer sowing.

On and off rainy days are making difficult the collection of seeds. Taking pictures is also not an easy task, but after two years of drought it is a relief to see the lush vegetation both in the wild habitats and also in the garden.

Lilium michiganense is in flower, both in the woods and in my garden. Probably one of the easiest lily to grow from seeds, so do not hesitate to give it a try. Few other native species flowering now or about to do so in the garden: Deschampsia cespitosa, Symphyotrichum laeve, Zigadenus elegans ssp. glaucus, Asclepias tuberosa (in part-shade), Campanula rotundifolia, Campanulastrum americanum, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Clinopodium arkansanum; Lobelia siphilitica and Lobelia cardinalis clumps are promising an exceptional late summer flower show.

Skunk cabbage, Sensitive fern and Platanthera psicodes

Thalictrum pubescens, wild

Lilium michiganense, garden

Campanulastrum americanum, American bellflower

Zigadenus elegans ssp. glaucus

Clinopodium arkansanum

All, except Deschampsia (tufted hairgrass) were grown from seeds. It is possible to introduce quite a large numbers of native species in your garden to flower from spring until late fall, without breaking the bank. Problem is in fact, that many are not readily available from garden centers.
Try to grow them from seeds. BotanyCa will strive to provide :-)

Enjoy the rest of the summer, hike often in the woods, be observant of the plants and all other species, and try to learn more about them. I’ll post updates once in a while about collected seeds – in the featured image: recently collected fruits of Aralia nudicaulis (wild sarsaparilla).

 

 

Summertime capsules

A reminder that the Seeds Shop will close on July 15th for the summer – and reopen in late August/September!

I have just collected new fruits from the garden. And, it is equally exciting to have them as it was to see the new flowers, or maybe even more!? Just because it brings the possibility of even more flowers. It also gives the occasion to observe the fruit types & dehiscence patterns.

The fruits I am going to show belong to ‘catch them if you can’ category: dehiscent capsules that open suddenly to release the seeds, which are often equipped with appendages/coated in substances that attract ants, or they have a certain morphology which allows a quick dispersal.

The little Cyclamen coum, flowered for the first time at the end of March! This is a naturally early hardy-flowering Cyclamen species. The flowering stems will coiled down after the flowers fade, and if pollinated, round capsules will develop. If you miss the right moment when the capsules open, the seeds will be carried away by ants (or other insects). One tell-tale sign is that they became soft right before opening.

Cyclamen coum March 30

Cyclamen coum seeds July 5

In May I proudly shown a Castilleja coccinea, Indian paintbrush starting to flower; a little success with this hemiparasitic species. The fruits, also dehiscent capsules, start to mature gradually on the flowering stems as the flowering goes on. After opening, the seeds are easily dispersed due to the particular honeycomb pattern of the seed coat outer layer; more on this here: Gone with the wind

Castilleja coccinea mid- May

Castilleja cocinea June 29

Castilleja coccinea seeds July 5

In mid-June, I also had the chance to collect snowdrop seeds (Galanthus). If pollination is successful, large fleshy capsules develop; they start turning yellow just before opening to release the seeds, which are equipped with very large elaiosomes and are carried away fast by ants. It is good to collect and sow these seeds in a proper way, when possible.

Galanthus seeds, June 12

Crocus banaticus October 2022

Crocus banaticus seeds June 10, 2023

Another interesting case is that of the fall flowering Crocus species (Crocus sativus, C. speciosus, C. banaticus – shown in the gallery…).  Around mid-June is the time when they will ‘display’ their seeds, if any – it is quite a phenomenon. These Crocuses are flowering in late fall and shortly after that the winter arrives; so, what happens? The thing is that these flowers have an inferior, subterranean ovary with only the showy part of the flowers above the surface. The fertilization is actually happening underground, and later in the spring the capsules emerge above ground (in very simplistic terms). After a while, they mature and split open to release the precious seeds.

Look around your garden this summer and not only at the flowers. There are always various plants setting seeds; collect a few for the seeds exchanges offered by your local Horticultural Society.

Summer seeds sale

You are invited to the summer sale of various species which germinate best when sowed right away.

Summer seeds sale from 29 June – July 15th

Helleborus caucasicus, Helleborus purpurascens, Helleborus x hybridus ‘Cherry Blossoms’, Helleborus x hybridus large purple, Helleborus foetidus plus Pulsatilla styriaca

*The first order for Helleborus seeds receives as gift seeds from a double flowered, purple Helleborus (no guarantee on the seedlings).

Helleborus ‘Cherry Blossom’

Helleborus purpurascens, a very early flowering species Helleborus

Helleborus caucasicus

Helleborus foetidus

Helleborus x hybridus large purple

Pulsatilla styriaca

Various North American native species with hydrophilic seeds are very fresh and cannot be placed in vermiculite right now; they will be sent in double packing (same like Hepatica seeds) and need to be sown right away upon receiving them. Some may be sent moist packed, depending on the date of the order.

Asarum canadense, Sanguinaria canadensis (special Canada Day price), Stylophorum diphyllum and Jeffersonia diphylla
As an early bird prize – a few pck. of Polygala paucifolia

Asarum canadense

Sanguinaria canadensis

Stylophorum diphyllum

Jeffersonia diphylla

Polygala paucifolia

Also available: Saruma henryi and something new for those looking to spice up their woodland garden.
Pachyphragma macrophyllum and Epimedium ‘Amber Queen’ (both in limited quantity)

Saruma henryi

Pachyphragma macrophyllum 2019

Epimedium ‘Amber Queen’

The inventory has also been replenished where possible: Viola canadensis, Viola labradorica, Lonicera canadensis, Pseudofumaria alba….seeds collections are going-on now. Any other species available in the inventory can be added to the orders now, but among those recommended for sowing during the summer-early fall are only Actaea ssp., Aralia, Liliums and the peonies (minus P. tenuifolia), Viburnum, Hydrophyllum (the seeds are not mature yet).

 The Seeds List

No orders will be accepted after July 15 – until late August/September when we hope to have more species added for the first early fall Seeds list.

Thank you all and best wishes for an enjoyable summer!

* Canada Post enjoys an extended Canada Day holiday; all orders received will be prepared and ready for shipping on and after July 4th.

On BotanyCa seeds and costs

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We will soon mark the beginning of the summer seeds season with various Helleborus, Asarum canadense, Sanguinaria, Jeffersonia diphylla, Stylophorum diphyllum, and few other species.
The summer sale begins tomorrow, June 29 – lasting until July 15. Another post will follow with more details.

The costs have greatly increased for everything lately and I know that everyone is trying to keep their expenses low, especially on non-essential items.
For those species collected in the wild and the moist packed seeds there may be small cost increases in the fall, depending also on the quantity of seeds available, but otherwise the seeds prices on BotanyCa Shop will remain affordable for everyone and in line with our initial goal: that more people are able to find good quality & affordable seeds for many species, especially of North American native plants.

It is troubling to find on the web offerings of seeds for various native species at what I would call ‘speculative’ costs, especially for species with hydrophilic seeds which we all know by now will germinate poorly, or not at all, if kept dry (a subject which has been emphasized a lot on this blog, some would say maybe in excess). Many NA spring wildflowers are included in this  category actually.

I will not name names, but this is going on since last year, so everyone should know that there are various Etsy sellers and no less an Ontario based! Seed company asking, for example:

21.76 CAD for 10 seeds of Uvularia grandiflora, respectively
6.99 CAD for 5 seeds of Uvularia grandiflora

One can also purchase 10 seeds of “GREAT WHITE TRILLIUM Grandiflorum” for 7.99 CAD and
Asarum canadense 10 s – 7 CAD

Never mind that these species have hydrophilic seeds, all will be well if you “Obtain a planting container that has holes in the bottom for excess water to drain….”

I pondered if to write about this or not, but the thought of people being scammed by unscrupulous sellers, resulted in this rather unpleasant post. Plus, there is one more angle to this….

That’s all I’ll say ‘in public’, and I would like to emphasize, once again, that our seeds are intended for gardeners and small size specialized plant nurseries, and not for reselling!
Therefore, starting this year, in the eventuality that I consider necessary, we’ll reserve the right to refuse certain orders.

Spread the word about this situation, as a favor to your friends and all other people thinking to purchase seeds of native species this season and stay tuned…

Growing Helleborus from seeds

This is yet another subject that I have written about here and there; time to have all info in one place for the Germination page.

First, to emphasize again that all Helleborus are great additions to the garden: cold-hardy, reliable flowering, most are drought resistant, a variety of flower colors, evergreen foliage, plus long lived. Quite an impressive list, isn’t it?! Ah, forgot to say that they are rabbit proof, which is very important for many of us.

Considering perennial plants in general, the most ‘perennial’ among them are the Helleborus and garden peonies.  It happens that they are also the most ‘worry free’ plants when planted in the right location; coincidence?!

Back to the seeds: they mature around mid-June and belong to the category ‘catch them if you can’. Even if you walk around the garden every day, they can still take you by surprise, reason why it is best to use organza bags for capture.

Some will still ‘escape’, fall on the ground and by next spring you will be presented with many ‘baby’ Hellebore seedlings. I missed to collect the seeds from the large, purple Helleborus last year and this spring there was a carpet of seedlings underneath it! Luckily, that I found an adopting parent for them :) otherwise they would have been wasted.

This is just to emphasize that Helleborus seeds germinate easily and in high percentage – when sown at the right time!  i.e. in the summer (or fall depending on the region/country you live in).

Reason for this is that Helleborus is a member of the Ranunculaceae family (like Hepatica, Aconitum…).
All these species share the same seed characteristic: when the seeds are ripe, the embryos are immature. Germination can happen only after the embryos reach a mature stage, requiring specific temperature cycles, usually a sequence of warm/cold moist periods.

Helleborus self sown seedlings close to the mother plant

Helleborus x hybridus large, purple seedlings transplanted at cotyledon stage

Helleborus x hybridus large, purple true seedlings a few weeks later

Direct sowing
We imitate nature with this well- known sowing method:  work in a fresh layer of good soil mix in the area where you want to sow (close to other plants or you can have a special garden bed for sowings), press the seeds in the soil, add a bit more soil on top and water well. That’s it.

Considering that during the summer we cannot count on rain too often, you will have to water the sowing area, otherwise do not expect any germination!

Somewhere in the spring the seedlings appear. Grow them in place for one season or more (depending on space), then move them to the desired location. They can also be transplanted at a very early stage (cotyledon stage) if needed; I did it many times and it works well.

Sowing in pots

If you have just a few seeds it is best to maximize your chances and sow in pots.
Sow the seeds like for any other species (I only recommend using a bit taller pots), and keep the pots in part-shaded or shaded location; water as needed and protect from critters. For the winter, either place the pots in a cold frame, or ‘plant’ them in the ground – an easy method for ‘winter storage’ about which we discussed many times.

Over the years I sowed various Helleborus seeds until September and they have germinated well in the spring. It means that the warm/moist period from September-late fall was long enough for the seeds requirement (embryo growth); followed afterwards by the cold/moist period (winter). Of course that this will vary depending on your location/region and where you keep the pots. In some cases sowing the seeds even later in the fall may be OK. In most parts of Canada by early November winter can arrive, reason why sowing later than September may not be a good decision.

Buying/Receiving seeds from seeds exchanges in ‘out of sowing optimal time’.
Choices are:
– Sow in pots and be patient, allowing them to naturally undergo the warm/cold periods required for germination; it may take 2+ years and certainly the germination won’t be 100%.
– Begin controlled stratification in moist vermiculite/bags: first a warm period of about  2 months (room temperature is OK) then place the bags in the fridge and keep an eye for the germination.

Yes, when grown from seeds most Helleborus cultivars or species will not all come true to the mother-plants, but the fast flowering allows selecting the best specimens, not to mention the very nice surprises that often wait for us!
They do delight us with their flowers in the spring and seem to remain in flower forever, but I really appreciate the most their foliage, so I will end the post with a picture of Helleborus purpurascens ex. Carpathian Mts. taken this month and the pot of seeds starting to germinate in 2015 (a bit of topsoil was removed to ‘see’ the seeds germinating). They turned out really nice!

Helleborus purpurascens ex. Carpathian Mts., June 2023

Helleborus purpurascens ex. Carpathian Mts.seedlings 2015

Flowers & seeds of June

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Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot), first seeds of 2023

It is already mid-June, wow! This is the time when various spring flowering species start to mature their seeds; soon there will be a wave of native species seeds one after another starting with Sanguinaria canadensis, Asarum canadense, Stylophorum diphyllum, and Jeffersonia diphylla…to mention just a few.

Various other species mature their fruits gradually, and also the collecting is done in the same way. For most Viola species, Silene pusilla, Saxifraga cuneifolia, Capnoides sempervirens…this involves seeds collecting every day now. Plus, Helleborus caucasicus seeds are being captured by organza bags, and others will follow shortly.

As soon as there is a larger batch of species collected, there will be another call for seeds, probably in late June – stay tuned.

The regulars of June garden are in flower now: Dictamnus albus, Baptisia australis, Clematis integrifolia, various Dianthus, Salvia, Aconitum moldavicum, with Asphodeline lutea in top bloom. While we all rejoiced in few rainy days, it was not very inducing for taking many new pictures. There are also new garden friends this year, like Glaucium aurantiacum and Gladiolus tenuis.

Silene pusilla

Aconitum moldavicum

Incarvillea delavayi

Paronychia cephalotes

Glaucium aurantiacum

Gladiolus tenuis

This is also a good time for planting 2 years-old seedlings of various bulbous species in the ground, as they enter their summer rest period.

Erythronium sibiricum 2 years-old tubers before planting in the ground

Species like Corydalis solida and allies, Erythronium, Fritillaria, Adonis, Crocus species, Galanthus…you can plant them in the ground after the second year of growth. They can also be grown further in pots, but honestly, I have obtained better results for  such species with this method then by growing them longer in pots. The Canadian plant trade is lacking diversity for these species, so what can we do?

We grow from seeds!