Friday’s seed with Uvularia

Packing Uvularia grandiflora (Large-flowered bellwort) for orders in the past days I noticed few seeds with already emerged radicles – shown in the image above. From any given lot of seeds, some are always in a hurry to germinate; the others will follow over time. These seeds have been kept in moist storage at room temperature since being collected in early August  (warm/moist cycle).  When the seeds are kept moist or sown right away after collecting, the radicles will start to emerge and also form a tiny rhizome in the fall; the leaves will follow in the spring after a cold/moist cycle (winter).
For those who already sowed Uvularia seeds – this is happening right now, deep down in your pots!

Things are simple, fruit and seeds wise, when it comes to Uvularia species: the seeds are enclosed in a capsule which will open to release them at maturity; usually they mature somewhere in August in SW Ontario. They are equipped with elaiosomes which attract ants (and maybe other insects) that contribute to their dispersal.

The capsules will get from green to greenish-white to white before splitting to release the seeds: Uvularia al dente.

One reward for the work of collecting and offering moist-packed seeds is the fact that more people start growing and enjoying in their garden various native species not readily available to purchase.

Uvularia grandiflora is one of them. Like many other rhizomatous species that require a few years to reach a ‘saleable size’, it is rarely seen on offer at the regular garden centers, although it is easy to grow from seeds and it grows quite fast.

It emerges early in the spring already showing the flowers, at a time when it is quite ‘empty’ in our woodlands. The first pollinators do not take for granted this plant!
The large, yellow flowers are very showy and make good companions for many other woodland plants. It often forms colonies, sometimes on rocky slopes, being drought resistant. 

Uvularia grandiflora in early spring

Uvularia grandiflora in habitat, early May

Uvularia grandiflora

The foliage remains nice looking for the rest of the summer and fall, in good years even taking a nice golden color. 

So, what are you waiting for? For those ‘afraid’ of pots – the seeds are large enough and can be sown directly in the ground, in the garden in a proper location.
For sowing directly in the ground please review: Growing Caulophyllum from seeds the easy way

Moist packed seeds update

As announced, we are ‘back to business’, thanks to Canada Post resuming activity. It seems that all works well for the time being.

The regular check-up on the moist packed seeds yesterday revealed the first signs of germination on Trillium grandiflorum. No surprise here.
Those new to our blog can read about the Large flowered Trillium germination in a few older posts: No- DOD’s, Check and skotomorphogeneticals.

Also as expected, few of the Daphne mezereum seeds show grown radicles, while the white flowered form, Daphne mezereum ex. ‘Bowles White’ seeds are only in the initial stage of radicles emergence. Needless to say that this may be the last chance to purchase and sow the Daphne seeds! The seeds with grown radicles cannot be safely shipped afterwards.

Daphne mezereum germinated seeds

Daphne mezereum ‘Bowles White’ germination

From all other moist-packed seeds, Asarum canadense (wild ginger) is the next one expected to start germination (roots only) somewhere in November; hurry up!
For all the above mentioned species, I refer to the radicles growth as ‘germination’ for convenience. The actual complete germination will happen in the spring, after a cold/moist cycle, when the first leaves will start growing.

As usual, all moist packed seeds will remain available until temperatures start to drop sharply below zero (it could be in late November, December…). Newly added to the Seed List:
Clematis viorna
Clematis integrifolia
Physostegia virginiana

Friday’s seed and plant portrait – Lomelosia olgae

All late fall flowering species are precious, not only for our solace (the winter is coming!) but also for the pollinators; the food sources are getting scarce at this time.

Lomelosia olgae, garden cultivated, October

Lomelosia olgae is one of them.
Looking like a Scabiosa but not quite the same, this species hails from the North Caucasus and Transcaucasus regions.

The flowers and the fruits are very similar with those of a Scabiosa. The foliage though is quite particular, with gray-green entire lanceolate leaves, felty (pubescent) underneath. The flowering stems are decumbent, a habit which I think is not only because of my garden conditions.
Pictures on inaturalist,images taken in the wild habitat, often show it with the same growing habit in most cases.
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/777648-Lomelosia-olgae/browse_photos

Lomelosia olgae foliage

We can get inspired by these wild images and cultivate it over a stone wall, or in a large rockery flowing down among boulders.
Having neither of them in my garden, it contents with the edge of a slightly raised plant bed. It grows well in full sun or part-shade and proves to be drought resistant.
There are still flower buds developing in October, which is another character I appreciate: the long flowering period, staggered over a few weeks in late fall.
We will only know later in the season if there will be enough fruits/seeds to be offered on the Seed List this year.

Lomelosia olgae – involucels with achenes; showing removed and damaged achenes (bottom)

The Lomelosia fruit is an achene, enclosed in a persistent involucel, and usually it is sown as a whole. This involucel serves a protective function for the fruit. The achene can be removed by gently squeezing the involucel but most often it will be damaged (like seen in the image to the left). 

The calyx of the flower remains attached and it looks like a coronet on top of the involucel; an achene with a crown :)

So, again, we do not see the actual seeds when sowing, we don’t even see the fruits! Not all flowers get pollinated and sometimes the involucels contain no fruits (not always easy to observe).

Germination wise,  Lomelosia olgae, it is a warm germinator (at room temperature) just like Scabiosa species.

*Named in honor of Olga Alexandrovna Fedchenko, Russian botanist (1845-1921) with immense contributions especially to Flora of Central Asia.

**New orders are accepted starting Monday October 20th!

Friday’s Clematis seed – or is it a fruit?

Of course it is a fruit. However, for practical reasons, we all call them seeds or seed-heads when referring to the whole fruiting aggregate.

Clematis hexapetala fruits and the actual seeds

The Clematis fruit is an achene with the former styles of the flowers remaining attached. Simple definition of an achene: a dry, one-seeded fruit that does not open to release the seed (the seed is not adherent to the fruit wall).

The fruit coat (pericarp) can become quite hard when ripe reason why it is difficult to say if there are any or good seeds inside. 

The former flower styles, usually called ‘tails’, become fluffy toward maturity, an adaptation to wind dispersal, and contribute to the ornamental aspect of Clematis plants in the fall; usually they are white or rusty/brown in color. They can develop even when the pollination fails, so always pay attention if there are fruits at the end of the ‘tails’.

Our main interest is in fact how the type of fruit (or seed) may influence the germination.

The fluffy tails, do not influence the germination in any way; removing them makes sense just for the easiness of sowing (same for Pulsatilla).

Regarding the germination per se, various websites copy and paste one after another relentlessly that “Clematis seeds may take up to three years to germinate” and so on…without referring to certain species. There are a LOT of Clematis species (not to mention hybrids).

In my experience, many Clematis species will germinate after a cold/moist stratification period, i.e. sowing in late fall/winter outdoors; usually they germinate in the next spring after sowing, maybe not 100% but one doesn’t need 15 seedlings to grow one Clematis.

My opinion is that because we are sowing the fruits and do not have a visual check of the actual seeds, germination failures are mostly due to bad seeds or no seeds at all inside the fruits. This is valid as well for other species when we actually sow whole fruits instead of seeds.

Clematis integrifolia seed-heads

Clematis glaucophylla seed-heads

Clematis occidentalis var. occidentalis seeds

There are also reports of some Clematis species germinating at warm (i.e. room temperature) which is true. I have only germinated the weedy C. tangutica this way, so I cannot confirm which species are actually warm germinators because I usually sow them in late fall.

Sometimes even ‘warm germinators’ need a short cold/moist stratification in order for the fruit coat to break down and allow water imbibition (without it the germination cannot be initiated).

Because the seed can be removed from the fruit (with patience), I also tried a described method of germinating the actual seeds in water (the ‘nude’ method); it didn’t work for me. Of course, there are many species of Clematis and I only tried a few. In any case, the whole procedure was a complete waste of time.

After many years of sowing, I remain adept of the classic method of sowing in late fall/early winter outdoors for all species; with the exception of well-known warm germinators, which are to be sown in the spring.
It has countless benefits in a cold climate like ours, so this is what I recommend including for sowing Clematis seeds; or fruits, if you want to be botanically correct.

Clematis viorna fruits

Clematis virginiana

Clematis heracleifolia ‘China Purple’

The Clematis fruits are gradually maturing in the fall; the collection is on-going for Clematis glaucophylla and Clematis hexapetala; Clematis integrifolia is getting there, while Clematis viorna still has a bit to go. Hopefully by the time all seeds are collected, Canada Post employees decide to get back to work!

PS. You may find various germination tests and recommendations when googling for ‘Clematis germination’. The downside of most is that there is no certainty the species used in trials were true to name (seeds received from seeds exchanges are notoriously something else, plus Clematis species hybridize easily, both in the wild and in the garden). Then, in many cases, only a very small number of seeds/samples are used. We cannot generalize results after germinating 10-15 seeds.

Maple-leaved Viburnum

Just a few words to announce the seeds of Viburnum acerifolium, my favourite Viburnum, for many reasons.

First, this eastern North American native shrub is very  hardy and adaptable, growing from sun to shade, in deciduous and mixed woods. In the gardens it can be planted almost anywhere, being tolerant of many soils, especially enjoying rocky, sandy soils, and being drought tolerant after it gets established.

Then, the white flowers are sought by many pollinators in mid to late spring. In the fall the maple-shaped leaves take beautiful shades of red to magenta and orange, depending on the sun exposure; more sun leads to deeper colors. What a beautiful contrast with the blue-black fruits!

Viburnum acerifolium flowers

Viburnum acerifolium fall

Viburnum acerifolium fall foliage

Maple-leaved Viburnum spreads by rhizomes, which can be considered its only ‘defect’ when it comes to garden cultivation, but on the other hand a grouping of plants in many situations can be actually desirable, providing cover for the songbirds.

Viburnum acerifolium and Viburnum rafinesquianum are the smallest native arrowwoods species, being best suitable for smaller city gardens.

BotanyCa Seed List is mainly inclined towards perennials but there are a few native, and non-native, shrubs & vines hard to resist and especially useful for small and medium size gardens.
They are offered whenever possible: Cornus rugosa, Daphne mezereum, Lindera benzoin, Lonicera dioica, Calycanthus floridus, Ceanothus americanus... to mention just a few.
For many of these, the best sowing time is right now!

Fall bounty

The image below, from another year, also shows the current fruits bounty, albeit in a different proportion this fall. It will take a few days to clean all the fruits (especially the Viburnum acerifolium).
As we now know, the seeds of Prosartes lanuginosa do need to be sown asap in order too germinate well in the spring (and  they do not keep well in moist storage).

So, those interested can find Prosartes lanuginosa and also Disporum uniflorum seeds in the inventory right now; both in limited quantity, as usual. A few packets of Partridge berry seeds, Mitchella repens, are also available, to begin with.

The same goes for Lindera benzoin, the Northern Spicebush.

Maianthemum racemosum fruits (featured image) were also added to the bounty; maybe someone wants to try the combination from the picture (to the right), showing fall color of Uvularia grandiflora with the False Solomon’s seal fruits in the foreground.

And just a reminder that although all the other remaining seeds from the ‘moist packed category’ are doing well, currently undergoing their slightly warm/moist cycle, they will become unavailable as soon as the temperatures will begin falling towards the late fall/early winter. Time flies…

For more reading:
Wildflowers Monday – Mitchella repens
Lindera benzoin

Garden grace

Disporum uniflorum (syn. D. flavens)

This fall, 3 most graceful species are available for those interested to grow them from seeds. Uvularia grandiflora (Large-flowered bellwort) seeds are already in the inventory (moist packed).

Disporum uniflorum, Korean fairy bells, fruits have just been collected and those of Prosartes lanuginosa, yellow mandarin, will follow shortly.

None of them are your usual garden center plants; the only way to obtain Prosartes is to grow it from seeds. For Disporum and Uvularia, you can try begging your gardening friends or scout the specialized small nurseries.

All three species make wonderful additions to the woodland garden, with Disporum even tolerating more sun, especially with enough moisture provided.

Uvularia and Disporum large, yellow flowers are very showy and the same can be said about Prosartes and Disporum fruits (orange and blue-black). Depending on the year, Disporum uniflorum and Uvularia grandiflora foliage may glow in late September.

Prosartes lanuginosa

Disporum uniflorum, fall color

Uvularia grandiflora

All these traits contribute to their charm. However, I would consider them mostly foliage interesting species due to their particular architectural habit. Those inclined towards plants with a certain garden grace should not hesitate to give them a try. You won’t regret it!

The seeds will be announced soon and usually are in limited quantity, stay tuned….
Meanwhile, plant portraits here:
Prosartes lanuginosa
Disporum uniflorum

Dogwoods and arrowwoods

,

In many regions we can now admire the colourful fruits of various dogwood (Cornus) and arrowwood (Viburnum) species. Many of them are appreciated as garden plants for their flowers and fruits with wildlife value plus the fall foliage coloration.

In order to germinate in the first spring after sowing, the seeds (fruits) of most such species require first a slightly warm/moist stratification cycle before the cold/moist stratification (winter). There may be exceptions but it is always better to be on the safe side.

Read here about it: Friday Seeds & germination requirements for Viburnum species

Viburnum rafinesquianum, Downy arrowwood

Cornus rugosa fruits have just been collected and cleaned, and the same goes for Viburnum rafinesquianum. Last time we provided seeds of Downy arrowwood was in 2017, so it’s been a while…

Viburnum rafinesquianum, Downy arrowwood, is less known (and cultivated) compared to Viburnum dentatum (Arrowwood), although its smaller size and similar characters make it a very good candidate for our gardens.

It grows well in dry conditions and loamy/clay/rocky substrates, another quality. The leaves are very similar to those of other arrowwoods, pubescent on the undersides. The fall coloration depends on how much sun it receives.

Showy flat-topped clusters of white flowers appear in late spring and are followed by attractive blue-black fruits (conspicuous flattened drupes), which are consumed by birds.

*The maple-leaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) fruits are not yet mature, but they will be collected asap.

Along with the dogwoods and Viburnums, do not forget that early fall is the best time to sow all species from the ‘moist packed’ category and others like Coptis trifolia, Daphne, Actaea, Aralia, Ilex, Hydrophyllum and most Paeonia species! To the SEEDS List!

Moist packed Seeds

Aralia racemosa fruits

Paeonia category

Colorful baneberries & time to sow

Actaea pachypoda

New Actaea fruits have been collected and now the whole baneberries ‘collection’ can be found in the inventory, including Actaea pachypoda fo. rubrocarpa (featured image) and the rare hybrid Actaea x ludovici (A. rubra x A. pachypoda). I have already showed this natural hybrid a few years ago; it can probably also be obtained in the garden if you grow the parent species.

There is nothing new but worth repeating that the good time to sow the baneberries is in the fall. The seeds require first a warm/moist stratification followed by a cold/moist stratification in order to germinate well. By sowing too late toward the winter, the seeds will need one more year to undergo these cycles.

*Orders containing Actaea rubra or Actaea pachypoda will receive a complimentary free pck. of Actaea x ludovici seeds (while quantities last).

The time of colorful baneberries is also a sign to (really) start sowing!

Back in stock:
Diphylleia cymosa, Trillium cuneatum, Clintonia borealis

Diphylleia cymosa fruits

Trillium cuneatum, Sweet Betsy

Clintonia borealis

Newly added:
Trillium luteum, Trillium erectum
Cornus canadensis (bunchberry)
Coptis trifolia (goldthread)

Trillium erectum

Trillium luteum

Cornus canadensis

Coptis trifolia flowers

Also, to pay attention to Aralia hispida and Aralia racemosa (fruits have just be cleaned).

Non-native wise, we also have as a new addition a lovely white flower form of Daphne mezereum, which I just sow it myself, with many thanks to the donor.

There are other new additions, like Gaylussacia baccata and Sisyrinchium montanum, but at this time I would like to keep the emphasis on those species that benefit from being sown in early fall: SEEDs LIST

Asarum canadense
Caulophyllum thalictroides
Daphne mezereum
Jeffersonia dubia
Trillium grandiflorum
Uvularia grandiflora

 

On Black Huckleberry germination

Cleaning seeds, especially from fleshy fruits, allows your mind to wander free, and of course, I usually ‘meditate’ on the germination requirements of the seeds.

I’ve collected for the first time a few fruits of Gaylussacia baccata, the Black Huckleberry.
I do not know if it will be in great demand, but I believe that providing wild collected seeds is good even if just a few people grow them from seeds; it adds to their genetic variability.

Some sources claim that Black Huckleberry seeds are hard to germinate and have a short viability.

Going in more depth, one can find the following germination protocol, in controlled conditions:
“ Samples of 2-year-old seeds were subjected first to warm stratification in moist peat at temperatures alternating diurnally from 68F to 86F for 30 days (20-30C). Then the temp. was lowered to 50F (10C) and the seeds germinated: 80% after 27 days and 96% after 47 days “ (Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States – Forest Service, USDA)

It may be one of those cases when sowing the seeds too late in the fall/winter, doesn’t allow for the first cycle of warm/moist stratification that these seeds require in order to break dormancy. The seeds contain a fully developed embryo, like shown in the image, so there is no reason for the seeds not to germinate.

The truth is that it is impossible to provide outdoors the 20-30 alternating day temperatures in Canada at this time.

So, the solution would be to naturally sow the seeds outdoors next year in the summer (July-August) and be patient as they should germinate in the next spring. Alternatively, stratify the seeds in moist media and provide the mentioned controlled warm/cold cycles in the house (if possible).

Stay tuned….
* I also wondered about the genus name: Gaylussacia. It commemorates the French chemist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac. There are about 40 Gaylussacia species in North and South America.

Short intermezzo with Gentiana

The first flowers of Gentiana asclepiadea and Gentiana andrewsii are announcing the fall. Gentiana paradoxa flowers on the other hand are slowly coming to an end.

Gentiana paradoxa

Gentiana asclepiadea

Gentiana andrewsii

A self-sown Gentiana dahurica has flowered white, to prove, once again, the variability obtained from seeds. Shall we name it ‘Snowhite’?

Gentiana dahurica – white flower

Gentiana dahurica

All these Gentiana species are not difficult to grow from seeds. More seeds to be announced toward the end of the week after they are cleaned and processed, stay tuned…
(Trillium erectum, T. luteum, Cornus canadensis, Coptis, more Clintonia, more Trientalis, …..)

Diphylleia cymosa plant portrait

I was actually preparing something else for today. Then a small packet with ‘precious’ seeds inside arrived.

Besides announcing new seeds, even on the other prepared post, I was first expressing my gratitude and thanks to all those who are contributing with interesting seeds for BotanyCa Shop. It would otherwise be impossible to offer various species, especially native to North America, which actually do not grow wild in Ontario, or even in Canada for that matter.

Diphylleia cymosa flowering in late spring

On to Diphylleia cymosa, the American Umbrella Plant.

I am excited for these seeds for a few reasons, one being my penchant for studying the germination patterns of Berberidaceae, you know… Caulophyllum, Jeffersonia, Epimedium, Podophyllums and others in this family.
They all bear a few similar characteristics, including having seeds that need to be sown fresh in order to germinate; or kept moist, to allow later sowing. I admired this large perennial many years ago in the now closed Lost Horizons Gardens.

Diphylleia cymosa  is a native of southeastern USA, particularly from the Blue Ridge Mountains of the southern Appalachians, where according to Flora of North America, it forms “dense colonies on moist slopes in mixed deciduous forests and along streams”. 
I call it American Umbrella Plant because there are other 2 species in this genus, D. sinensis (from China) and D. grayi (from Japan and Sakhalin).

A very large perennial, it is growing from a short rhizome that produces 1 leaf or one flowering stem per year (with 2 leaves); a similarity with Podophyllum I would say. The large leaves are simple, 2-parted, each part with 5-9 lobes.
In culture it prefers a moist, rich substrate but can also grow in average soils, only that it remains shorter in stature.

American Umbrella Plant flowers

The white flowers appear in late spring in a terminal cyme (hence cymosa). One cannot deny the resemblance of these flowers to those of Jeffersonia dubia white form!

Later, the maturing dark-blue berries will make a striking contrast with the red pedicels!

How are the seeds looking? I think they are also very handsome, seeds-speaking 😊

A few were malformed, it happens, so I said let’s have a look ‘inside’. A very nice surprise! I found the embryo to be in the torpedo stage (with the shoot apical meristem and root apical meristem formed), so the germination shouldn’t be difficult after proper stratification.

Diphylleia cymosa seeds; to the right a dissected seed showing torpedo stage embryo

Those who have proper space in the garden, do not hesitate to give it a try. It makes a striking specimen plant for the woodland garden!

Most likely, like all rhizomatous plants, it needs a few years to establish but afterwards it will remain a long lived plant to be admired, from spring to fall for many years to come.

I will follow you in the journey of sowing a few seeds to witness their germination and see how the seedlings develop! Among a few Podophyllums I can certainly also grow one Umbrella Plant.

I again, kindly call attention to the moist-packed seeds category: the Seeds List (warm germinating species with dry seeds can be purchased all winter long).