During a recent hike, I was in the right place at the right time, shortly after a recent storm broke down a few Sassafras fruit-bearing branches.
According to my records, this happens only every 10 years, when a stellar alignment leads to various energy points converging.
It also has to be a year when Sassafras has set fruits (sometimes late frosts can destroy the flowers) and, needless to say, a beautiful day that inspired hiking.
Taking all into consideration, plus the fact that I don’t intend to take up tree climbing, please get familiar with this nice and peculiar tree and consider growing it from fresh seeds, if your garden space allows. The next stellar alignment might come only in 2034!
Sassafras albidum portrait
Sassafras albidum – Sassafras (Fam.Lauraceae) is a medium size tree, 15-20 m tall that can be encountered wild in Southern Ontario woods (where its Northern limit is found) being more widespread across the border in a few US states. All parts of the plant are spicy and aromatic.
It has an interesting candelabra-like branching (aka. sympodial) and really cool leaves that come in three shapes! In the fall, they turn yellow, red and purple depending on the sun exposure and fall temperatures (mid-September – October). They host the caterpillars of the Spicebush swallowtail and Promethea silk moth. Young seedlings will first display only simple leaves.
The small, yellow flowers appear in early spring, on separate male and female trees, and by fall the ornamental black drupes are displayed on red long pedicels with the same candelabra-like ramification. The fruits are very attractive and consumed by various birds in the fall.
It is not easy to always observe the black fruits up on grown up trees, even when it happens. They are rapidly consumed by birds that will spread the seeds, so in stands with mature trees there are always youngsters with cute leaves growing beneath their parents.
Mature Sassafras trees prefer full sun locations and sandy-loamy soils; when young they will tolerate shade. It is a medium to fast growing tree which also can sprout and form colonies.
Those who have space and a good garden location can grow it solitary or as part of a native woodland garden with other companion species: Lindera benzoin, Lonicera canadensis, Hepatica americana, Amphicarpeae bracteata, Maianthemum, Mitchella, Gaultheria procumbens, Trillium, Prosartes lanuginosa, Polystichum, Adiantum….
Sassafras albidum has a long and interesting history related to North American Native Peoples and later worldwide. 
Before the discovery of the North American continent, the Sassafras was extensively used (leaves, roots and bark) by Native Peoples for various purposes: antihelmintic, antidiarrheal, antirheumatic, as a cold remedy, venereal, tonic…
The European settlers after seeing its traditional medicinal usage, like in many other cases, thought they found the ‘cure-all’ plant and started to import large quantities of sassafras oil (obtained by distillation from the root bark), into Europe.
For a while, the sassafras oil was a very precious commodity, being employed in foods, medicinal products, cosmetics (root beer, sassafras tea, filé powder, as flavoring in candies, beer…).
After safrole, the essential component of sassafras oil, was recognized as a potential carcinogen around 1960’s, its use was banned in the US and later in Canada.
Only young leaves which are said to contain little safrole, can be used to make the powder filé (part of the renowned Creole dish gumbo). Also, I read that some small brewers still use the extract to flavor traditional beers.
Those with more time can have a look at this wiki stub, or/and do their own research to read more about the Sassafras: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassafras_albidum
**Do not purchase Sassafras oil from non-verifiable sources, because most likely what you will get would be just some ‘fragrant oil’ obtained from other trees (via Asia and Brazil).
Also, be aware that safrole is on the List I precursor chemical of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (for good reason).
Sassafras albidum seedlings
I rarely see it cultivated, although it is a fully hardy tree in Southern Ontario. It can be propagated either from seeds or by root cuttings – according with some sources.
Sassafras seeds are losing their viability when kept dry, like its spicy cousin Lindera benzoin. Beware buying seeds that have been stored dry for longer periods for both these species!
For best germination the seeds need to be sown fresh in early fall, or if kept moist, throughout the fall, so they would first undergo a slightly warm stratification period followed by a cold one (winter). Treated like this (the natural way) they should germinate in late spring next year. The seedlings seen in the wild, testify for this method.
Lindera benzoin seeds will also be available for purchase again this year.
Start your ‘wish’ list, which should always contain first the species from the “moist packed” category – written green in the SEED LIST.
I am planning another short outing, fingers crossed for more new seeds!
Thank you for your interest and patience!
A lucky find one year – Spicebush swallowtail caterpillar on sassafras leaves
Seeds storage and CP update
PropagationCanada Post strike update: finally good news for today!
It has been announced that the dispute between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers will be under analysis by the Canada Industrial Relations Board. Because the parts involved are still very far apart in their negotiations, the postal workers could be ordered back to work soon.
Of course, there are huge backlogs that will need to be resolved first, but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel. We will know more about this next week.
Many thanks to all who have placed orders after the strike began and are waiting patiently for a resolution!
Like every year, at this time I am sorting through the fruits/seeds collections and pack them in glassine envelopes before I introduce them in cold storage (0-4C).
Even for those who do not sell seeds or engage in seeds trading – it is always a good idea to keep a few back-up seeds from your most beloved plants! How you store your seeds is very important to ensure a long/good viability.
With the exceptions of hydrophilic species-seeds (which need moist storage) and few species with short viability, all other seeds need to dry up very well to ensure good viability and germination capacity (for a few years, depending on the species).
So, as mentioned with other occasions, newly collected fruits/seeds need to be kept in large paper envelopes, coffee filters, open trays or anything similar, for quite a while after collecting. For larger quantities, paper lunch bags work quite well; all of these stored in a well aerated room.
Thermopsis villosa seeds have just been cleaned and will be packed, the lunch bag is full with Liatris ligulistylis stems with seeds that will be processed shortly; Allium thunbergii ‘Ozawa’ seeds collected only last week! will need to dry up further.
Thermopsis villosa seeds
Seeds collection – Liatris ligulistylis
Allium thunbergii ‘Ozawa’ seeds
Ready for cold storage: Phyteuma confusum, various Primula species….
We cannot control the humidity level as good as can be done in the Seeds Banks facilities, but for our practical purpose it is good enough if you follow the procedure described.
Only after the seeds are very well dried up, they can be packed further in glassine envelopes (preferably) and introduced in cold storage.
The glassine envelopes are placed in Ziploc freezer bags (kept in alphabetical order). As another safety measure against humidity, silica gel packs are added in the Ziploc bags and periodically controlled and replaced when necessary.
This is also a good time to look in detail at smaller collections and figure out if there are enough seeds to share. Those interested will notice in the Seed List a newly added Campanula persicifolia ‘Nitida Alba’, about which I will give a few clarifications early next week.
Plus, soon to be added: wild collected seeds of Campanula alpina (another great little Campanula species) and Pulsatilla alba.
Campanula persicifolia ‘Nitida Alba’
Campanula alpina
Pulsatilla alpina ssp. alpina
Stay tuned for more good news….
Preparing for the winter
PropagationLike in previous years, we are enjoying a warm, pleasant beginning of November. But, do not be fooled, in Ontario we can go from nice fall weather to winter in a blink of an eye!
Are your seedlings prepared for the winter? We cannot leave our ‘precious’ unprotected. You may have new fall sowings and young seedlings 1-2(3) year-old still in pots. They all need extra care for safe overwintering in a cold climate.
For those who have a proper cold frame it is an easy task: place the pots inside, add a bit of fleece, close de frame and hope for the snow. Let’s see what other options are available for those without a cold frame.
Seedlings (dormant) winter protection – the easy way
The easiest, if you have just a few pots: find a place between perennials in the garden, and dug the pots in the ground. Place a mesh on top to discourage the critters and a pile of leaves/or mulch on top. Water the pots well one more time before doing this!
Avoid low areas where the water might stagnate in early spring after snow melt!
If you have a lot of pots or flats, keeping them in the ground is not a practical solution. You need to use a larger empty area somewhere in your garden, or in the patio, close to the shed…Gather all the pots tight together and have various materials handy: bubble wrap, fleece, frost black cloth, tarps.
In the picture below, my ‘collection’ from a couple of years ago: pots with 2 years old dormant seedlings and un-germinated seeds (in plastic boxes). This already offers them a bit of protection. I presented this option for summer sowings, the plastic box helping to avoid the desiccation and watering a lot the pots.
Also, young seedlings, which are wrapped in cloth. The wooden frame is not really necessary (although very easy to do).
Arrange everything tight together and add layers gradually, depending on how cold it gets; finish with the tarp. Some winters we need more layers, some less. It also depends how soon it will snow. Snow provide the best insulation. Plus, the sowings do not need as much protection as the seedlings, they still need a healthy dose of cold to break their dormancy.
Sowings winter protection
Seedlings in the trays covered with black cloth
Sowings and seedlings winter protection
Instead of one big pile, you can have 2: one for the new sowings, one for young seedlings – which need more protection. During warmer periods, it is good to check up on the pots and the big pile can be rearranged with this occasion.
Ideally, it will snow and that would seal the deal. If not, fingers crossed. Still, I never had any loses keeping young seedlings and plants over the winter like this.
It is not that these pots won’t freeze at all; they will, believe me (I would find them frozen in the spring even in the cold frame). But we hope to attenuate the extreme low temperatures: -3C is OK, but -10C is already a different story.
Notes: make the pile in a place where the snow gathers well (for example, under big evergreen trees there is always less snow). If possible, the area where you keep the pots should be shaded, so the snow won’t melt too fast during the winter/early spring sunny days.
We can relax now and start thinking what else to sow later in the winter, while already dreaming about spring!
On sedges
PropagationUntil we have more news about Canada Post negotiations early next week – I don’t recommend new orders to be placed!
Some plants always become more ‘visible’ in late fall, both in nature and in the gardens. Among them are the evergreen sedges; no garden is complete without them.
There are quite a few North American native plants species to choose from at the garden centers. However, in the sedges ‘department’ there is still a lot of work to be done.
Carex arctata, Drooping woodland sedge
Over the years, I learned to appreciate the sedges that maintain a green appearance during late fall and winter when all other plants are having their winter ‘beauty’ sleep.
I promised, for those wishing to add more native winter–greens to their gardens, to keep an eye open for new sedges. So, there is a new one in the List this year – Carex arctata, the Drooping woodland sedge, with its very nice, bright green foliage sometimes punctuating the hiking paths. From spring to the winter, the clumps remain happily green, just the green nuance differs a bit.
I was also aiming for Carex platyphylla seeds, but alas I missed the right moment. Looking fwd to collect them next year!
We also have other sedges that have ornamental fruit-heads like Carex grayi (back in stock), and few other related species. The fruiting stems can be used as a fall décor for a while :)
Granted, not all sedges remain evergreen or have interesting fruit heads, but they can have other qualities like for example the interesting ‘tropical’ texture of Carex muskingumensis, the Palm sedge.
Carex grayi
Carex muskingumensis
Carex rosea, Trillium, Uvularia…
Speaking of décor, I will digress from sedges a bit to mention one of my favorite native grass, Chasmanthium latifolium, the
Northern Sea oats, pictured here at the end of October.
An important mention is that all these species are very easy to grow from seeds! Nothing is holding us back to grow them all, except the lack of seeds.
Interested in other, out of the ordinary, ornamental grasses and related genera?
https://botanicallyinclined.org/fine-grasses-for-shade-sedges-melica/
The Seeds List
Friday’s seeds – data for AI
Friday's Seed(s), Propagation*this article has been written by a plant obsessed human :-)
Back with the widely UN-popular series of Friday’s seeds and fruits!
Today we’ll discuss about the fruits & seeds of the kinnikinick or bearberry – Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, an excellent evergreen, ground covering shrub for sandy/rocky, sunny locations. Most Arctostaphylos species are valuable additions for native landscaping and erosion control plantings.
I noticed it has become a bad habit to call all fruits which are rounded and red, berries. So, even for the bearberry one will find them called as such by most ‘copy & paste’ knowledgeable gardening websites.
It may be that such similarities on many websites are because AI writings nowadays? In this case, we should be more careful about the data provided for AI teaching.
Stony seeds of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry), after removing the red, mealy fleshy part of the drupes. Most often they remain fused together; few were broken apart for showing purpose.
The type of fruit of a given plant also gives us information about its seeds, and so it has importance sowing-wise, to know what we are dealing with. It is not just a question of semantics.
The rounded and red fruits of Arctostaphylos are actually DRUPES (think peaches, but with more ‘stones’ than one).
Each drupe contains 5+ stony seeds. Some may break apart, but most often they remain fused together, giving the impression of a large ‘stone’.
In translation, the Arctostaphylos seeds are enclosed inside a very hard endocarp. Berries do not have seeds enclosed in hard endocarps.
In nature, the Arctostaphylos fruits are consumed not only by bears, like the common name implies, but also by small mammals and birds. The stony seeds will suffer a natural ‘scarification’ passing through their digestive system; upon ‘release’ the seeds will be primed for germination.
Notice also the outer layer of the seed (the stony part) and the narrow opening through which the radicle will emerge during germination. The opening is plugged (the tissue is not as hard as the endocarp) and will be softened during scarification. Courtesy of a very old forestry nursery book.
Following example, plant nurseries have developed germination protocols for Arctostaphylos species involving the scarification of the stony seeds with sulphuric acid (not an easy task).
Of course gardeners have to use other approaches, using a mechanical scarification of some sort.
Another method that can be safely used by gardeners for any Arctostaphylos species is the ‘smoking’ method. It was inspired after natural wildfires which most often stimulate the germination of various species with hard seed coverings, and it involves burning a layer of pine needles over a flat with sown seed stones. The stony endocarp usually cracks open during the burning.
Or, cover the stony seeds mixed with soil (even the whole fruits) with pine needles (or similar plant parts) in a fire pit and give a good burning to the pile; let them cool off before sowing.
There is more – besides the hard covering, the seeds of Arctostaphylos also have dormant embryos. So, the scarification has to be followed by dormancy breaking treatments. According to reliable sources these are: 2-4 months of warm/moist stratification followed by 2-3 months of cold/moist stratification.
A lot of work I admit! But genetic diversity oblige, we cannot propagate by cuttings endlessly.
Old & new
Wildflowers of North AmericaThose interested can find the following native species seeds back in stock:
Diervilla lonicera, Lilium michiganense, Lespedeza violacea and Thalictrum pubescens.
New for this year:
Ageratina altissima (aka. Eupatorium rugosum)
Ageratina altissima, formerly Eupatorium rugosum, the White Snakeroot, is a plant mostly found growing in part-shaded woodland settings with conspicuous clusters of small white flowers which are very beneficial for the pollinators in late summer to early fall.
However, being extremely adaptable it can also grow in full sun, in which case it needs more moisture.
It is from such a mother-plant, growing on Killarney’s granitic shorelines, that the seeds were collected: notice how part of the foliage takes a beautiful, dark purple color in this case.
There is in fact a cultivar of this species named ‘Chocolate’ with dark foliage year- round.
Greater fringed gentian
I am also very happy to offer seeds of the Greater Fringed gentian – Gentianopsis crinita from the beautiful garden of Anna’s Perennials & Gardens!
The Greater fringed gentian attracts attention with a magnificent flower display in late summer. The mauve, large flowers with fringed petals are a sight to behold.
It is a biennial species that reseeds in proper conditions (moisture needed), so do not be shy to give it a try. It is one of the first species I will sow this fall.
The days and nights are getting cooler and it feels like true fall now – a reminder that the moist packed seeds in stock will remain available until early winter only depending on the temperatures!
Orchids and other mycorrhizals
PropagationThere is a section in the Seeds Shop – reading ‘Orchids & other mycorrhizals’, where various species with particular needs regarding germination were included. The species are all very handsome and interesting looking, but do not be fooled by their appearance: they are very hard to grow from seeds! I emphasized this aspect before and details are offered on every species individual page, but it is always good to repeat important things.
Propagating orchid species is usually successful only by using ‘in vitro’ techniques. Epipactis helleborine has a very wide range of hosts, so we can have some success when sowing the seeds in the garden, especially if various trees are present. In my garden it appears here and there, never in the same place and variable from one year to another. The works of the mycorrhizal world is very complicated.
Chimaphila umbellata
Other species are mycoheterotrophic (Monotropa, Chimaphila), meaning that they are partly or entirely non-photosynthetic plants that obtain energy and nutrients from fungi that form mycorrhizas with plants. That means they are parasitic on the fungal partner and, indirectly, on its associated plant. Most of them have very fine, dust-like seeds and require fungi for germination.
More about Chimaphila umbellata here: The love of winter: Pipsissewa. I sowed seeds on various ways with no success up to date.
Conopholis americana – is a holoparasitic plant; it forms symbiosis with only a particular host plant – Quercus rubra (or other species from Q. rubra group).
We also have hemiparasitic plants like the beautiful Castilleja and Pedicularis, which do not need fungal associations, only specific hosts plants to grow well. For this reason, the seeds can be germinated in pots, but to grow well and flower they need to be planted close to their preferred host plants afterwards. I can vouch for both, which at times I germinated in pots. (Gone with the wind – Indian paintbrush).
This being said and emphasized, when possible I try to provide limited quantities of such species, including orchids for the aficionados with ‘in vitro’ propagating possibilities and knowledge.
Cypripedium acaule
New this fall:
Cypripedium acaule, the Mocassin flower
I never had the chance to catch it flowering with its impressive large deep red pouches, but sometimes I find it at fruiting stage. This year was perfect timing.
This is an orchid growing on areas with acidic soil and although some people claim that it tolerates various degrees of soil of moisture, I’ve only seen it growing in rather moist forests. |Plus, it enjoys cooler summers than what we have in SW Ontario, where Cypripedium parviflorum can be cultivated and even grows wild for example.
Spiranthes incurva, Sphinx ladies tresses
Spiranthes incurva
This is a relatively newly described Spiranthes incurva (a hybrid between S. cernua and S. magnicamporum) with white-ivory (with yellowish throats), fragrant flowers arranged in a spiral around the stems, like most other species from the S. cernua complex.
The authors proposed the common name of Sphinx ladies tresses for it, on the reason that this hybrid species is “prone to enigmatic and intractable questions”, just like the mythological creature Sphinx.
Those interested to read more about the S. cernua complex and learned the differences between various species, the following article will keep you very ‘entertained’:
https://bioone.org/journals/systematic-botany/volume-42/issue-4/036364417X696537/The-Systematics-of-the-Spiranthes-cernua-Species-Complex-Orchidaceae/10.1600/036364417X696537.full
Back in stock after a couple of years: Monotropa uniflora, the ghostly Indian pipe.
The inventory has also been replenished with fresh seeds of Conopholis americana, which had a great season this year.
Monotropa uniflora
Conopholis americana
Things I’d like to grow
Wildflowers of North AmericaAlas, it is not possible at my location; or some species would need an artificially constructed bog.
Chamaedaphne calyculata, leatherleaf
Firstly, the beautiful evergreen leatherleaf: Chamaedaphne calyculata which inhabits edges of the ponds, bogs and swamps. It’s been quite a few years since I got the chance to collect a few seeds, actually 2017 when I also provided a plant portrait: Belated Friday’s seeds.
The sole member of the genus Chamaedaphne (Ericaceae), leatherleaf is a low growing evergreen small shrub (up to 1.5 m tall). It is native to the cool regions of the Northern Hemisphere from North America, NE Europe to N. Japan, Mongolia and Siberia, where grows in all types of bogs, sedge fens, and open wetlands.
It is characteristic of mature and late stages of moss – shrub communities, where it forms colonies, with rhizomes spreading in the sphagnum moss. It actually helps the installation of other species with whom is found growing, like: Sarracenia, Drosera, Kalmia polifolia, Oclemena, Ledum groenlandicum, Myrica gale, American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and other Vaccinium species.
For those who have proper conditions, it is more than worth to try and grow the leatherleaf from seeds (I never heard of a specialized nursery offering plants).
Drosera rotundifolia
With the same requirements, new to the Seeds List, Drosera rotundifolia, of which I never had the pleasure to collect seeds until this fall.
The seeds stock has also been replenished for Drosera intermedia – shown in the featured image. Looking at the picture one might wrongfully assume that it is a rockery plant! In fact it grew in a crack of bare rock sitting in a wet area. It can definitely fool us :) Carnivorous aficionados have the occasion now to grow a trio of: D. linearis, D. intermedia and D. rotundifolia.
Another wetlands inhabitant is the interesting bog aster which bears the name Oclemena nemoralis. Looking at the flower anyone could call it aster, while the foliage, almost linear leaves with recurved margins, tells a different story. It is a species flowering in late summer-early fall, and only a few heads were ‘fluffy’, but maybe someone wants to give it a try.
Oclemena nemoralis flower
Oclemena nemoralis foliage
Oclemena nemoralis seed heads
Exploring the nature always gives a chance to learn about new plants, you only need to keep your eyes wide open! If we have proper conditions in our garden, we can then try to recreate small ‘pieces’ of wilderness. If we don’t, at least we learned something new!
Stellar alignment & Sassafras
Plant portraits, PropagationDuring a recent hike, I was in the right place at the right time, shortly after a recent storm broke down a few Sassafras fruit-bearing branches.
According to my records, this happens only every 10 years, when a stellar alignment leads to various energy points converging.
It also has to be a year when Sassafras has set fruits (sometimes late frosts can destroy the flowers) and, needless to say, a beautiful day that inspired hiking.
Taking all into consideration, plus the fact that I don’t intend to take up tree climbing, please get familiar with this nice and peculiar tree and consider growing it from fresh seeds, if your garden space allows. The next stellar alignment might come only in 2034!
Sassafras albidum portrait
Sassafras albidum – Sassafras (Fam.Lauraceae) is a medium size tree, 15-20 m tall that can be encountered wild in Southern Ontario woods (where its Northern limit is found) being more widespread across the border in a few US states. All parts of the plant are spicy and aromatic.
It has an interesting candelabra-like branching (aka. sympodial) and really cool leaves that come in three shapes! In the fall, they turn yellow, red and purple depending on the sun exposure and fall temperatures (mid-September – October). They host the caterpillars of the Spicebush swallowtail and Promethea silk moth. Young seedlings will first display only simple leaves.
Sassafras albidum fall colors
Sassafras albidum fall colors2
Sassafras albidum fall leaves
The small, yellow flowers appear in early spring, on separate male and female trees, and by fall the ornamental black drupes are displayed on red long pedicels with the same candelabra-like ramification. The fruits are very attractive and consumed by various birds in the fall.
It is not easy to always observe the black fruits up on grown up trees, even when it happens. They are rapidly consumed by birds that will spread the seeds, so in stands with mature trees there are always youngsters with cute leaves growing beneath their parents.
Mature Sassafras trees prefer full sun locations and sandy-loamy soils; when young they will tolerate shade. It is a medium to fast growing tree which also can sprout and form colonies.
Those who have space and a good garden location can grow it solitary or as part of a native woodland garden with other companion species: Lindera benzoin, Lonicera canadensis, Hepatica americana, Amphicarpeae bracteata, Maianthemum, Mitchella, Gaultheria procumbens, Trillium, Prosartes lanuginosa, Polystichum, Adiantum….
Sassafras albidum has a long and interesting history related to North American Native Peoples and later worldwide.
Before the discovery of the North American continent, the Sassafras was extensively used (leaves, roots and bark) by Native Peoples for various purposes: antihelmintic, antidiarrheal, antirheumatic, as a cold remedy, venereal, tonic…
The European settlers after seeing its traditional medicinal usage, like in many other cases, thought they found the ‘cure-all’ plant and started to import large quantities of sassafras oil (obtained by distillation from the root bark), into Europe.
For a while, the sassafras oil was a very precious commodity, being employed in foods, medicinal products, cosmetics (root beer, sassafras tea, filé powder, as flavoring in candies, beer…).
After safrole, the essential component of sassafras oil, was recognized as a potential carcinogen around 1960’s, its use was banned in the US and later in Canada.
Only young leaves which are said to contain little safrole, can be used to make the powder filé (part of the renowned Creole dish gumbo). Also, I read that some small brewers still use the extract to flavor traditional beers.
Those with more time can have a look at this wiki stub, or/and do their own research to read more about the Sassafras: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassafras_albidum
**Do not purchase Sassafras oil from non-verifiable sources, because most likely what you will get would be just some ‘fragrant oil’ obtained from other trees (via Asia and Brazil).
Also, be aware that safrole is on the List I precursor chemical of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (for good reason).
Sassafras albidum seedlings
I rarely see it cultivated, although it is a fully hardy tree in Southern Ontario. It can be propagated either from seeds or by root cuttings – according with some sources.
Sassafras seeds are losing their viability when kept dry, like its spicy cousin Lindera benzoin. Beware buying seeds that have been stored dry for longer periods for both these species!
For best germination the seeds need to be sown fresh in early fall, or if kept moist, throughout the fall, so they would first undergo a slightly warm stratification period followed by a cold one (winter). Treated like this (the natural way) they should germinate in late spring next year. The seedlings seen in the wild, testify for this method.
Lindera benzoin seeds will also be available for purchase again this year.
Start your ‘wish’ list, which should always contain first the species from the “moist packed” category – written green in the SEED LIST.
I am planning another short outing, fingers crossed for more new seeds!
Thank you for your interest and patience!
A lucky find one year – Spicebush swallowtail caterpillar on sassafras leaves
Back to seeds
PropagationThe feeling that the late summer is slowly sliding towards fall is more and more pronounced and with it the thought of seeds.
So, while the inventory work is getting under way in parallel with seeds collecting, we are getting back to weekly updates on seeds, plants and other worthy garden subjects to talk about.
When will the Shop open for orders?
Gentiana andrewsii
This fall the Seeds Shop will reopen somewhere in the first or second week of September (it will be announced). Orders are not accepted until further notice.
This way, we’ll have the chance to hopefully collect a few more species. It will also address the complains of having to order a few times in order to get seeds that are placed gradually in the inventory.
There will always be late collections: from species that are starting to flower now, like Gentiana andrewsii, or for those that mature their fruits in September/October (or even November: Asclepias exaltata), and who knows what ‘gifts’ will be arriving from friends.
Meanwhile, seeds collected in previous years will be available.
What to expect in the Seed List?
Various seeds offered as moist packed are kept in moist vermiculite and will be available to ship as soon as orders are accepted. These species are written in green in the Seeds List and recommended to be purchased first.
Fruits of Podophyllum peltatum, Mayapple and Clintonia borealis were collected last week and Caulophyllum thalictroides (blue cohosh) is lining up. Hydrastis canadensis seeds are already moist packed.
After a rainy start of the season, the drought made an appearance and some species have been detrimentally affected. Some spring flowering species, like Primulas, have stood up to the occasion and there are more garden cultivated species and forms to choose from this fall.
Primula ‘Violet Victorians’
Primula hose-in-hose
Primula sieboldii, 2024
Primula veris ‘Sunset Shades’
Phyteuma confusum in wild habitat
Many North American native species will be available like every year, from A – with Arisaema triphyllum and Actaea species to V – with various Viola species.
First time offerings: Kalmia angustifolia and K. polifolia and we hope to have back in the inventory few species that were missed last year like Viburnum acerifolium and Lindera benzoin.
Non-native species speaking, by browsing the Seed List with attention, one will also find a few choice, garden and wild collected species like: Gypsophila cerastioides,
Clematis alpina ssp. sibirica, Gentiana gelida, Phyteuma confusum, Silene lerchenfeldiana, Soldanella hungarica and S. pusilla…
*Of course that the Seeds List is currently ‘in the works’ and may change until the Shop re-opens.
The late summer-fall gentians have flowered a bit earlier this year and by watching them there is always the desire to have more! With patience, by late fall we will know if the capsules contain good seeds.
Gentiana paradoxa
Campanula rotundifolia complex
Wildflowers of North Americahttps://data.canadensys.net/vascan/name/Campanula%20rotundifolia
Well, I don’t like it but I should write something about this Campanula, which is offered in the Shop (seeds).
Once upon a time, when life was easier, Campanula rotundifolia L. was considered a single species with a widespread distribution and with many variable forms depending on the geographic range.
The situation is reflected by the many synonyms accumulated over the years for this species including: Campanula alaskana, C. arctica, C. gieseckeana, C. intercedens, C. petiolata and so on….
Time has passed, and like with many other things in life, people from various parts of the world started to look more closely at the harebell, with newer tools and fresh eyes. It is an extremely variable pretty plant, so we cannot blame them.
Among other articles, I also managed to find on-line, a partial treatment for Campanulaceae for Flora of North America, which I recommend to be read entirely.
https://inaturalist.ca/posts/86696-campanula-partial-treatment-for-flora-of-north-america
For those who want a very short resume:
Firstly, it seems that the species has colonized NA in a single event from European ancestors, then it diverged into separate morphotypes.
Campanula rotundifolia populations in North America are represented by diploids, tetraploids and hexaploids which occur in a ‘matrix’ according with S. G. Shetler who studied C. rotundifolia in North America and is of the opinion that “the tetraploids form a ‘groundmass,’ and the others might turn up anywhere”. (!)
He has been able to differentiate four ‘races’ in NA based on plants morphology: the “Alaskan Race”, the “Arctic Race”, the “Eastern Race” and the “Cordilleran Race” (please follow the above link for more explanations and relative descriptions).
Very important I think is this note: “in any particular location plants may be found with any combination of morphologies mentioned above, or populations with the features of one or more “races” may occur together or in the same general area”.
If all these ‘races’ will be formally recognized as distinct species, I don’t know. I notice that on WFO C. rotundifolia and C. gieseckeana are listed as accepted.
Campanula rotundifolia L. in Bruce pen., likely what is given now as Campanula gieseckeana
I will personally wait for a general consensus and a complete treatment of Campanulaceae published in Flora of North America, so we can follow the traditional keys for identification. We will follow closely this ‘story’ of and wait for the ‘happy ending’.
With this in mind, it is important to note the seeds collection locations.
Regarding the seeds offered in BotanyCa Shop – all seeds offered as Campanula rotundifolia, of any year, were collected in Ontario on the shorelines of Lake Huron (Bruce peninsula and Killarney).
I also grew plants from the latest collection and after a very close look with the measuring tape in hand out in the garden, our current plants/seeds qualify ‘somewhat’ into to the “Eastern race” as described by S. G. Shetler, with the decumbent stems and very particular ‘ribbonlike leaves’ (currently presented as Campanula intercedens on iNaturalist).
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=905640
I would also note that height and vigor will vary greatly depending on the garden location: shorter, more upright plants in a full sun/dry location versus a much taller plant in part-shade and more moisture.
Campanula rotundifolia – Killarney, ON in full sun
Campanula rotundifolia, C. intercedens in part-shade
Campanula rotundifolia, C. intercedens, Killarney
So, for now I changed the title in the Shop to:
Campanula rotundifolia L.– Killarney, ON
somewhat equivalent to Campanula intercedens Witasek
If you grew plants from seeds purchased in the last two years from BotanyCa Shop, please mark this change in your labels/records.
Let me explain about evergreen Epimediums
PropagationWhile waiting for Jeffersonia diphylla capsules to open and the heat dome to go away, I will write a bit about the evergreen Epimedium species. Seeds will be offered soon and I know that not everyone is familiar with them/growing from seeds.
Years ago I had quite a few articles about some Chinese Epimediums on the website which I subsequently deleted because of the amount of spam generated by the tags attached. Because you see, the evergreen Epimedium species, which are of Chinese origin, are commonly called fairy-wings or barenworts (like the European and Japanese Epimediums), and also horny-goats weeds, supposedly because one of theirs medicinal properties ;) Enough said…
From all Epimediums I particularly like this group of species because of their evergreen, leathery handsome foliage and spidery-looking flowers. Musing on species that maintain a nice presence over the winter, I once described the evergreen Epimediums the next best thing to the Helleborus: Winter joys II.
Then, ‘the best is yet to come’ with the new spring foliage being incredibly ornamental in various shades of purple, salmon, or mottled, before turning green later. The spidery flowers might be a personal like, but I noticed that other people enjoy them too.
Epimedium ‘Amber Queen’
Epimedium lishihchenii
Epimedium acuminatum
I acquired a few of the available species, and after a few years when I noticed capsules on Epimedium ‘Amber Queen’, I said: how about trying to grow more from seeds? I had no idea about their requirements for germination and there was little to no info about the subject. This fantastic cultivar is in fact a hybrid resulted from a cross: E. wushanense ’Caramel’ x Epimedium flavum.
Now there are more hybrids around the garden, and it may be a swarm of cross-hybridization going around. There is no ‘ flight control tower’ for the bumblebees :-) Which takes me to the third reason I love them: the flowers with long spurs are in high demand in the spring (around May here) for the long tongue pollinators.
Other evergreen species growing in the garden are Epimedium acuminatum, Epimedium stellulatum and Epimedium brachyrrhizum, so there are more cross-pollinations possibilities.
To state the obvious: all plants grown from seeds will be the result of cross-pollination.
Growing from seeds it is also the method of obtaining new commercially cultivars after careful selection. In the garden, one can keep whatever finds suitable and discard away the unwanted (flowers-wise). Most will produce a few flowers in 3-4 years so it’s a quick process.
I also found myself in the position to giving names to a few of the most deserving specimens, all chance seedlings; labels are needed when sharing divisions with friends :-)
Epimedium ‘New Horizons’
Epimedium ‘Freckles’
Epimedium ‘Raspberry Fudge’
Garden cultivation: plant them in part-shaded locations (especially shade for the afternoon in a hot climate). After many years, I consider the most commonly cultivated species to be quite drought resistant (occasional watering during drought), just that they will flower better having more moisture.
The evergreen foliage can became unsightly by early spring (depending on climate and in snowless winters); remove it only in late spring because it protects the flowering stems, which show up at ground level early and can be damaged by late frosts.
Most species grow from a tight rhizome, so if you want to divide them, dig out the whole clump and carefully take out a rhizome ‘slice’ in late spring/summer and grow it in a pot until fall to build up the roots. The spreading types are more easily divided, but even so they require a season or two to get back in shape.
Very fresh (green) and a few days ‘old’ Epimedium seeds
Propagation by seeds: the seeds seem to be hydrophilic and require a warm stratification followed by a cold stratification in order to germinate; sow them fresh in the summer and then allow a cold (winter) period.
As shown in the image, they are still green when the capsule splits open and are equipped with large elaiosomes, which will dry out in a few days, while the seed coats will mature and become brownish. For sowing we should follow the same procedures as with Hepatica seeds.
It seems that the seeds only need +/- 2 month of cold stratification, so if you keep the pots in a cold garage, for example, they may start to germinate in February (even earlier depending on the climate). To avoid this, keep the pots outdoors for the winter for spring germination. Self-sown seedlings appear in the spring every year now.
If you use indoor lighting, you can get a head start for the season; the seedlings grow fast and are very easy-going under lights.
Epimedium seedlings with cotyledon and first true leaves
Again, as a thank you to all customers (ask in the note) seeds will be offered complementary with all orders coming in with the next wave of fresh seeds (while quantities last).
Likewise, those who only want Epimedium seeds will be able to purchase them.
I hope to convert at least few people of growing them from seeds. Nice surprises await those willing to try!
Bursting at the seams
Wildflowers of North AmericaMid-June is by tradition a period when various spring flowering species are maturing their fruits – many are literally bursting at the seams :-) and are a bit difficult to catch, even for experienced collectors. Cues of maturation are slight changes in color and/or in texture, but even so, fruits on the same plant will mature at different times, therefore using organza bags when possible is still a better way to go.
Stylophorum diphyllum fruits releasing the seeds
Cardamine enneaphyllos splitted fruits
Asarum canadense fruits and seeds
Viola adunca var. bellidifolia opening capsules
With plants being smart, the fruits are in most cases down-turned towards the ground (like in Stylophorum diphyllum, the woodland poppy), which makes the matter of capture even more difficult. The wild ginger fruits (Asarum canadense) are laying at the ground level and innocently keep the same color/shape until the ‘last minute’ of maturation – an open buffet for all ground crawling creatures.
Viola species capsules, we talked about them, are explosives and it is not possible to include all the stems in bags.
So, daily garden walks have a double goal, to admire the newly flowered and to also collect seeds from the ‘seeds defectors’.
Papaver chakassicum, Polygala
Campanula bellidifolia
Dianthus deltoides (2)
Dianthus spiculifolius
Dictamnus albus
Gladiolus tenuis
Just one example of an Epimedium ex. ‘Amber Queen’ hybrid; colored young foliage and yellow spidery flowers in various shades
To make a long story short, there will be new fresh seeds listed in the Spring-Summer 2024 section of the SEED LIST very soon.
At this point, only Jeffersonia diphylla and one Helleborus are on the ‘wait list’, but not for long I think.
PS. In the featured image: capsules with seeds of Epimedium lishihchenii.
Free Epimedium seeds will be offered for all orders (while quantities last)!
This spring was good with them and there are plenty of capsules on Epimedium ‘Amber Queen’ and its hybrids, so it would be a shame to let them go to waste.
Stay tuned…