Saturday morning Calochortus

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During a short trip to SE BC this summer I have had the chance to admire my first ever mariposa lily – Calochortus apiculatus, Baker’s mariposa lily – shown here in the featured image. Of course, I’ve seen many pictures of various species, but it’s never the same like experiencing them in the wild.

Next minute, a little voice was screaming in my head – I want to grow a mariposa! Not all Calochortus species are actually named mariposa lilies, but that’s how I call them.
I indulged, and together with a few other Western North American species I brought in, for my little voice and for the shop, 2 Calochortus species.

Not having pictures with the flowers I will introduce them through their seeds.
Calochorthus leichtlinii – the Smokey mariposa, which is found growing at high elevations in Oregon, California and Nevada, would be the one to try in zone 6. It has white to pale blue flowers with yellow/black centers.
With good luck and stellar drainage it may do well. The seeds were collected on Eisenheimer Ridge, Plumas Co. at 2135 m alt.

Calochortus leichtlinii seeds

The very cute Calochortus tolmiei (Tolmie star-tulip, pussy ears) would be best left for those living in a warmer climate, or grown in a pot in the alpine house. The flowers are light purple/lavender and are very hairy – you could grow it as a pet :)
I will test  the germination and who knows, maybe even end up with few plants to grow in a container.

Calochortus tolmiei seeds

For lots of mesmerizing pictures (wild, culture) and growing advice for various Calochortus species, please visit the PBS page: https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Calochortus

Find the seeds on the Seeds list.

Back to the routine

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Friday’s seeds

It is time to get back to the routine :) We’ll start slowly with a known species – Glaucidium palmatum, Fam. Ranunculaceae (well, there were debates, but it is still there).

The first fruits are ready, more to come, so just a short stop to admire how neatly the seeds are arranged in the follicle. Two carpels with multiple ovules for Glaucidium – and we get two follicles and many seeds inside.

Let’s count the seeds in this one follicle: you don’t say, precisely enough for 1 pck.!

Glaucidium palmatum fruit and seeds

Shop for Glaucidium seeds

The bundle flower – Desmanthus illinoensis

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How about a perennial species with mimosa-like foliage for a cold region (zone 5)?
I bet everyone will ask you what’s that species in your garden bed and would want to touch the foliage.

Illinois Bundle flower (or prairie mimosa) is the one.

Desmanthus illinoensis, Illinois bundle flower, prairie mimosa

Unlike the real mimosa plant, the prairie mimosa leaflets will not fold inward when touched, they do it only in the evening and during very hot periods to retain the moisture.
White, globular flowers appear in June/July followed by clusters of pods, which have a beautiful flowery look early on.

Desmanthus illinoensis cluster of pods

It is definitely an interesting plant to mix in a flower bed not to mention that like all Fabaceae it is a nitrogen fixing plant and will naturally enrich the garden soil.

For those interested in the ethnobotanical aspects,  the root bark has been found to contain various substances similar to those used in mix preparation of hallucinogenic drinks (like other species from the mimosa family).

I’ll say let’s keep it for the garden ;)

Link to the shop

Candy – for the eyes and soul, peony seeds

Without further ado, the peonies seeds are here! I tried my best to place them fast in the inventory; sown right away they may start to germinate this coming spring (warm/cold cycle required). Please see the Seeds list for all available species in stock, and from there access each species.

This year we have to give thanks again to the seeds donors, which give all others the possibility to grow these wonderful species of peonies which would be otherwise difficult to obtain (at least for some of us). Despite a very dry summer, there are more P. japonica and P. mlokosewitschii seeds, and so the nr. seeds/pck. has been increased with no quantity limitation.
There is nothing difficult in growing peonies from seeds :)

Paeonia japonica emerging in the spring

Paeonia japonica seedlings late August

 

Single delights – Moneses uniflora

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“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
Some may argue that this famous Samuel Beckett’s quote is not an inspiration for trying and grow very difficult species, but I differ. With every failure we will, at least, learn something a bit more about them.

This long overdue post is about mycorrhizal species, included in the Orchids & other mycorrhizals shop category and especially about Moneses uniflora – the single delight. It always keeps one to want more ;)

Some people are more adventurous than others when it comes to growing from seeds – this is the reason I collect and offer, when possible, a few almost impossible to germinate/grow species. The cost of seeds is really insignificant; it’s all about the quest and desire to go beyond what’s easy.
In other words, for those loving to grow plants from seeds – it’s also fun!

Moneses uniflora is a little, evergreen species growing in shady, cool places, and not often encountered. Managing to grow it in the garden, it would be nothing short of a miracle but nothing is impossible.
Like all species from the above mentioned category, it requires a specific mycorrhizal fungus at least for germination and maybe even later for growth.

This one single delight was spotted growing on top of decaying, exposed roots covered in moss in the Lizard Mts., BC. In my opinion, this may offer a hint about the way one could go about when trying to germinate it.

Moneses uniflora, single delight (red arrow pointing)

This is my advice for sowing Moneses uniflora (Pyrola and Chimaphila as well):

Collect a piece of decomposed wood together with some moss from the woods; place them in the garden, half buried in the ground to stay moist in a shady location; sprinkle the very fine seeds on top and water well to washed them in the moss. Keep the spot moist at all the time and….fingers crossed.

Few years ago I tried sowing in the same way Pyrola elliptica (same category) with the decomposed wood/moss placed in a pot. I noticed tiny, green sprouts in late spring but then it slipped my attention and got dry at some point, so I cannot draw a real conclusion; must repeat it in the ground in a good shaded place where I water regularly (under a Chinese Epimedium, for example).

Try again :)

As fresh as they get

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Few species that have been uploaded yesterday on the shop are seeds of opportunity.
Collected by chance during a short trip to the BC mountains, they are maybe one – time offerings. Who knows if I’ll stumble upon glacier lilies in seed (and in flower) some other time?

Seeds of Erythronium grandiflorum, Anemone occidentalis, A. parviflora and even Streptopus amplexifolius are best sown as soon as possible. Otherwise they may germinate in the second spring after sowing.
I can only advise ;)

Erythronium grandiflorum, glacier lily flowering at the snow melt line; the seeds were ready at lower elevation

Anemone occidentalis, early spring flowering (meaning July at high altitude :)

Anemone parviflora

Streptopus amplexifolius

*Since there are quite a few Erythronium seeds, part of them are kept dry and offered at a lower price – Erythronium grandiflorum dry seeds; sown right away they should still germinate in the spring; sown later they will need two seasons for germination.

Delphinium tatsienense vs. D. grandiflorum

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It seems we are naturally ‘inclined’ to want plants that bear names with an exotic resonance.
For example, D. tatsienense may ‘sound’ better than D. grandiflorum; not that the name should be the criterion when choosing what plants to grow.

Few years ago I bought seeds of D. tatsienense, I grew it, boasted about it, collected its seed, until doubts started to creep in about its identity.
I stopped offering seeds but kept some; I grew more seedlings with the precise purpose to have a closer look at it.

The differences between the two species are somewhat minute considering Flora of China (which always gives me the blues when I have to rely on it). Nevertheless, after looking closely and taking meticulous measurements I am pretty sure this is D. grandiflorum; and probably 90% or more, of what goes around in the trades (seeds and plants) as D. tatsienense is actually D. grandiflorum.

The Papilio butterfly, which was busy feeding when I was doing measurements on the cut flowers, gave me the sort of look – “does it really matter?”….Well, it matters for us.

Delphinium grandiflorum and Papilio polyxenes

All that’s needed for ID, if you have plants of either of them, are a strong hand lens & small measuring tape. Flora of China see here – link to Delphinium.
Disclaimer: following the link to the Delphinium keys might give you the blues.
Better grow some plants when the seeds are ready, regardless of the name!

 

We got the moist packed seeds – now what?

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Some have decided to buy moist packed seeds, and not only– many thanks to all!

I know that sowing in late fall/winter comes naturally for many people, but how about the summer/early fall sowing of moist packed seeds?
So, I will outline a few good practices; better to be safe than sorry :)

The received moist packed seeds need to be sown ASAP; keeping them for a couple of days at room temp after arriving is OK. The natural condition they are in right now is ‘warm’ cycle –  do NOT place them in the fridge!

Many of the early summer seeds/fruits collections have a ‘green’ appearance or elaiosomes. After a few weeks the seed coats mature turning brown-blackish and the elaiosomes dry out/shrivel.
So, yes, the seeds I packed yesterday, shown in the featured image, look OK; there is nothing wrong with them.

Being kept slightly moist, these seeds are more delicate (i.e., the seeds coats can be soft) so handle them gently; do not rub between fingers. Prepare a pot(s) with your usual sowing mix (mine is a mix made from Promix with a bit of 3 in one 1 or black soil added) and spread the whole content of the pack on the mix; there is no need to remove the vermiculite.
Cover with one more thin layer of the same mix, and if available top up with grit/vermiculite/small gravel – highly recommended for the summer sowings. Water thoroughly (meaning watering a few times or place the pot(s) in a shallow tray with water).

What to do with the pots? They only need to be watered at intervals, and you don’t want them in the way the whole summer; some may even germinate in the second spring from sowing (Hepatica, Sanguinaria).
Of course that everything here also applies for sowing dry seeds.

I know that not everyone has a dedicated area for sowings/seedlings, so here are few solutions:
1-5 species/pots
Include the pots in a plastic bag/large Ziploc for easy handling, to keep the moisture level even and avoid weeds. Not my favorite method, although I used it in the past for fall sowings. A SHADED position is a must! Don’t forget to open the bags to check moisture once in a while; moss may become a problem. Recently I keep all summer sowing pots in plastic boxes (in a shaded position) and it works better.

An easy method is to include few pots in a plastic bag and keep it in a shaded location (just an example, I don’t use it anymore)

My favourite is the ‘space saving method’ – bury the pots/or even larger containers in the ground (cover them with a mesh). I detailed this in the  Growing Jeffersonia from seeds post – please read more HERE.

A small, rectangle container (plastic or degradable) can be used for ‘community’ sowing, shown here already with grown seedlings (Maianthemum, Trillium… they were planted in the ground already).

You can go even further and place individual pots in a larger container (soil was added on the bottom of the container so the humidity level remains uniform); put your imagination to work!

Hepatica young seedlings, individual pots/large container – you can also use this method for sowing

A full tray of pots or more
You probably have a frame in this case :) but if not, choose one area somewhere in the shade (can be between other plants garden) where you can place the trays wrapped in a fine mesh.

Even better, if you have an available small spot around the backyard, make a simple wooden frame (you can also arrange flat rocks in a box-like shape) and place the pots inside with soil or sand underneath and in between; thus it is easy to cover them with a mesh and to keep the humidity constant during the summer months.
This is also good for keeping pots with summer dormant species like Corydalis, Claytonia and/or species that need more than one year to germinate.

Wood box-frame with dormant seedlings and new sowings

I realize that I forgot to mention the absolute most easiest method, which is: sowing the seeds ‘in situ’. It works wonderful for larger seeds like Caulophyllum, Uvularia but also feasible for Asarum, Sanguinaria and other species. Sow the seeds in the same location where you would plant them, water very well and cover with a mesh to deter the critters from digging them out. You have to pay particular attention to the sowing spot and water the seedlings during the first 1-2 seasons!

To end this long but hopefully useful post, keep in mind that the moist stored seeds are very fragile and, like all the other seeds, they are alive! Letting the pots dry out for an extended period during summer would surely result in no-germination next spring.

“When you think about it, seeds are improbable things. They don’t really seem alive, but of course they are, in a hidden kind of way….” – W. Cullina.

 

Not your tiny violet – Viola canadensis

Beautiful and underused in gardens, as it often happens, Canada violet can grow to 1 ft. tall with a round, bushy look habit. Vey floriferous, it looks great in combination with other shade perennials. It prefers a moist location and a few hours of sun will make it remain compact; can be sheared after flowering.

Although listed as growing throughout Canada and most of the U.S, it is rather scarce in the wild and even listed as an endangered species in the Illinois (US).
There are 3 varieties of V. canadensis listed in Flora of North America – those interested can read more:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250100903

Viola canadensis in cultivation

After a good flowering period, the capsules are starting to mature and I’ve collected the first seeds.
Viola spp. capsules display an explosive behavior, reason why collecting the seeds can be a frustrating endeavor, especially from the wild.
In the figures below you can see the way capsules signal the near (1-2 days) release of seeds.

Viola canadensis seeds maturation

The next stage that follows:

A bit too late ;)

Other Viola species can be monitored for seeds collecting in the same way.

Spring and fall

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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…

Asclepias exaltata and other happenings

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A couple of days ago I found seeds of Asclepias exaltata germinated/overgrown within the moist towel I used for cold/moist stratification; reason why I don’t like to use this method too much (a great space saver though). When using moist vermiculite the roots have the possibility to grow in/attach and even feed a bit from the vermiculite.
 Of course it is my fault I didn’t keep a good eye on the seeds. I managed to gently extract a few of the seedlings and planted them right away.

Asclepias exaltata germinated seeds

Asclepias exaltata seedlings

I probably showed this woodland Asclepias before, but the milkweeds are never enough :) and this one is indeed scarce in my region (SW Ontario). For this reason, I always collect selectively only few seeds and there are never enough for sale.

I am trying to produce more for my native woodland corner to address the issue, plus, to keep the pollinators happy! They are easy to grow, my 3 years old plant (grown from seeds) will flower this year. Meanwhile for those that need a remainder, this is the Poke milkweed.

Asclepias exaltata, Poke milkweed, flowering usually in late June

Speaking of something else, Hydrophyllum virginianum has a nice show in the woods right now, and also in my garden. The bumblebees are happy. Also flowering, Conopholis americana while Viola pubescens capsules are getting closer to maturity.

Hydrophyllum virginianum

And, Erythronium americanum capsules have been collected; this is one of the best collections  I’ve done so far. The seeds will be available in the Seeds Shop next week.

Erythronium americanum capsules

Superb: Dianthus superbus ssp. sajanensis

Change of plans; I wanted to write something about Aconitum germination/seedlings, then, wanted to announce the posting of the first seeds of the season, but how can I do anything else before showing this Dianthus superbus ssp. sajanensis at peak flowering? Divine fragrance!

Dianthus superbus ssp. sajanensis, flowering in the second year from seeds.