Tag Archive for: Helleborus seeds

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).

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

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)

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.

With most of the Hepatica seeds ‘out of the way’ (thank you!), we are preparing for the next wave of seeds that are best sown during the summer to ensure proper germination.

These are the Helleborus, maybe a new species this year -Pachyphragma macrophyllum, plus various native species like Sanguinaria canadensis, Asarum canadense, Erythronium grandiflorum and Jeffersonia diphylla.
All these species mature their seeds in mid to late June, and will be offered right away. I should also add to this group Pulsatilla styriaca, which in my experience also germinates best when sown fresh.

A short garden survey revealed seed pods on Helleborus ‘Cherry Blossoms’, Helleborus caucasicus, Helleborus purpurascens, Helleborus foetidus and few others H. x hybridus. Helleborus are easy to grow from seeds and start flowering in 3-4 years, your only worry will be having too many seedlings (not to mention the price of a potted plant at the garden centers nowadays!).

Stay tuned…

From the flowering front, two nice surprises: Castilleja coccinea (Indian paintbrush) is flowering for first time in the garden (seeds were sown ‘in situ’), in sync with those in the wild. Sisyrinchium mucronatum (Needle tip blue eyed grass) is no surprise, but it has a nice flowering this year, and makes a nice pair with Castilleja just like in nature.

The second flowering surprise is Delphinium nudicaule, the orange or canyon larkspur, hailing from the foothills and canyons of Sierra Nevada! Yes, it is possible. The seeds were offered in 2019, I probably sowed them in 2020/21, and here it is, flowering to the delight of the resident hummingbird and not only.
We only need to dare to grow plants from seeds!

Delphinium nudicaule flowering in June, 2023, SW Ontario

 

First of all, seeds of Erythronium americanum are in stock, in limited quantity. The spring weather wasn’t favorable for the early flowering species pollination.

Then, a few Helleborus are already in stock: H. x hybridus ‘Cherry Blossoms‘, H. niger, H. foetidus and in limited quantity – H. purpurascens!
How rewarding to see the Helleborus purpurascens grown up and starting to produce seeds! Seeds from mother-plants which were grown from wild collected seeds are the next best thing, beside the wild coll. seeds.

They should be sown during the summer months in order to obtain germination in the next spring. I wish there were more Helleborus to offer. They are so easy to grow from seeds and even if some cultivars won’t come true to the mother plants 100%, there are only nice surprises to expect.

Also, the formerly Corydalis, now Pseudofumaria alba and the NA Rock harlequin, Capnoides sempervirens are also in stock. Pseudofumaria lutea will follow shortly.
These species behave similarly in regards to the germination: fresh seeds sown right away will mostly germinate during summer time and form a leaf rosette; next year they will start flowering. Seeds sown later in the fall/early winter will mostly germinate after a cold period.

For those who need encouragement to start growing plants from seeds, I always recommend to try a few of the “easy” species, like these ones. Throw the seeds in the garden (in a location you will water at least occasionally) and is almost impossible not to obtain a few plants (same goes for Papaver species).
Especially for those problem places where nothing seems to grow, try these “Corydalis” and you will not be disappointed. What else would grow so bountiful around the house foundation? The ‘unwanted’ are easily removed.

Few other usual species of mid to late June are also collected and will be available next week: Sanguinaria canadensis (just coll. yesterday), Stylophorum diphyllum, S. lasiocarpum and hopefully Asarum canadense.

Quite a few species that flowered in the spring are opening (or will do it shortly) their fruits to release the seeds.
The fall blooming Crocus species does the same thing.
Interesting, isn’t it?

Many of these species are in the category I once called ‘notorious seeds defectors’ :-)
Hepatica, Corydalis & Pseudofumaria spp., Stylophorum spp., Helleborus, Asarum spp. (gingers), Saruma, Viola ssp., Epimediums, the recently added Dirca palustris and so on…
(hover over pictures for the names)

Stay tuned…