Tag Archive for: Primula mistassinica seeds

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. 

Zigadenus companions

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For those in need of ideas for companion plants, I will show a few other native species growing together with Zigadenus elegans ssp. glaucus in my garden bed. You can attempt to grow them from seeds or source the plants from a specialized plant nursery.

Garden bed containing various native species that enjoy relatively moist situations – view from last year. Due to the drought, some species (especially L. cardinalis seem affected) are not flowering so abundant this year

The garden bed has a natural grading which allows the water to sit at the edging area when it rains. The substrate at depth is clay and in years with normal rainfalls, it remains a rather moist area with little additional watering; sun to part-shade.
Most of the following species will actually adapt to various moisture levels; some will remain shorter in height and flower less if it gets too dry, like it has happened this year, but they will get by.

Eupatorium perfoliatum (Boneset) with its white, fragrant inflorescences of small white flowers is attracting various pollinators,

Great Golden Digger Wasp on Eupatorium perfoliatum

especially solitary wasps that otherwise are not usually seen in the garden.
Lobelia siphilitica (Great blue Lobelia) and *Lobelia cardinalis.

*Geum rivale (Nodding avens), Iris versicolor and Iris hookeri
*Clinopodium arkansanum (Limestone calamint) is also crawling somewhere toward the edge; you know it is here every time a wonderful minty whiff comes into air. Although an alvars dweller, Clinopodium adapts very well to garden cultivation.

*Viola nephrophylla grows with abandon at the edge (self -sown seedlings appear all the time) and there are even few skunk cabbage seedlings! in need of rescuing this coming fall.
And I almost forgot to mention: *Houstonia caerulea, *Primula mistassinica and *Sisyrinchium mucronatum. Plus, *Parnassia glauca (Marsh grass-of-Parnassus) which makes for an excellent late summer bloomer.

Erythranthe guttata and Iris versicolor

One year *Erythranthe guttata, the Monkey flower, bloomed wonderfully at the edge, but it didn’t manage to reseed successfully (on the account on work done to enlarge the bed).
Talking grasses: *Carex grayi and Deschampsia caespitosa.

* – It means the plant was grown from seeds; more pictures and descriptions for each on the shop pages (seeds are not available for all species every year). We must be patient, some of these species mature their seeds in late September/October.

You can create micro-habitats in your garden by using the existent conditions and planting species which naturally grow in a similar habitat. I like this simplified definition of a habitat:
“A habitat is a place where an organism makes its home”.

Maybe you have a similar place, a woodland bed, or a sun baked area? There are species suitable for all situations – offer them a home!

Primula mistassinica

Geum rivale

Sisyrinchium mucronatum, June

La primevère du Mistassini

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My apologies to anyone who tried to post a comment in the past couple of weeks – my new anti-spam ‘ware’ needed readjustments.

In the same idea of great little plants, this dwarf canadian primrose would have looked very well in my shade container with the Soldanellas and Haberlea rhodopensis.

Primula mistassinica

Primula mistassinica

Primula mistassinica, the Mistassini Primrose, or even better after its French name – Primevère du lac Mistassini, it’s a small size, more or less farinose primrose that was first discovered growing around the lake Mistassini in Quebec, and so it took its name. Anyone who sees it understands that it is best called by its French name: la primevère du Mistassini – it will answer looking at you with charming yellow eyes from big, pink flowers!

Primula mistassinica

Primula mistassinica flowering in Bruce Peninsula, Ontario

Best grown in part-shade or in full sun locations, if enough moisture is available. Although it looks fantastic in mass plantings it is also suitable for a trough.

Would you care for some seeds? - click