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 :)

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.

 

Arisaema show off

All these were raised from seeds and for some I’ve waited 4 years to flower; a little show off should be understandable  :)

I also have A. triphyllum seedlings but non-flowering this year; together with A. ciliatum and A. flavum, they are the easiest to grow species (in the ground) and very hardy; good for a cold climate.

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. sajanense

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. sajanense at peak flowering? Divine fragrance!

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

 

 

 

 

 

Out in the world

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At the same time Trillium grandiflorum is flowering in the woods, I planted my 3 years old seedlings in the garden (in bunches of 2-4 seedlings).

I don’t have enough space to keep seedlings growing in pots for more than 1 – 3 years (to the extreme). For some it is more than enough, others might like a bit of pampering, but it is what it is – they have to go out and face the ‘world’ :-) : T. erectum, M. stellatum, Allium tricoccum, Asarum canadense (1 year), Lilium canadense, and L. michiganense, Prosartes lanuginosa and probably few others.

Trillium grandiflorum 3 years old

Trillium grandiflorum 3 years old

Maianthemum stellatum, Asarum canadense (wild ginger) and Allium tricoccum (wild garlic) are very tough and I’m sure they’ll do well. For Lilium canadense and Lilium michiganense it will be an experiment to see how it goes if planted in the ground at an early age. Pictures taken before planting out:

Asarum canadense seedlings

Maianthemum stellatum seedlings

Allium tricoccum

Lilium canadense

One concession I make is having a dedicated spot with small plants where it is easier to keep an eye on them; but there are full grown perennials there as well. Most people have a bit of empty space between some larger perennial/shrubs and can do that.

Prosartes lanuginosa, yellow fairy bells, 2 years old – easy to germinate and grow from fresh/moist kept seeds

Growing native species from seeds for your garden and planting out the young seedlings follows well the natural rhythm of nature; from a pot full of seedlings, some will perish and the strongest will survive, perfectly adapted to your garden conditions.

On the feature image: Jeffersonia diphylla young seedlings planted in the ground last year.

 

Hydrastis canadensis – short note

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It seems it is good, if not even required, to document the growing of Hydrastis canadensis (golden seal) with the purpose of selling seeds/plants at some point in the future.
The overharvesting from the wild coupled with the destruction of its natural habitat lead to its inclusion in 1991 on the CITES Appendix II (Convention for International Trade on Endangered Species).

I already showed the seeds, the germination, and here they are the 2 years old plants at the transplanting stage. I expect they would start to grow faster now that they built a little rhizome.

Hydrastis canadensis, goldenseal – 2 years old plants

For those who don’t know about the goldenseal and its medicinal properties, here’s an excerpt from an older post that I will re-write entirely at some point.

“Native Americans introduced European settlers to the medicinal properties of quite a few medicinal plants, among them the Goldenseal – Hydrastis canadensis, which is native to SE Canada and NE United States. The Goldenseal grows in shady, moist woodlands locations. Other common names include: yellow root, eye root, ground raspberry, Indian dye and yellow puccoon. It is a small perennial with a knotty rhizome and deeply divided leaves with 5-7 lobes. The white flowers appear in the spring and are followed by inedible red fruits (raspberry-like) in the fall.

The Cherokee and other tribes used mainly the roots as an antiseptic for inflammation, as a general tonic, to improve appetite, to treat skin problems and as an eyewash for sore eyes. Also they produced from it a golden-yellow dye, hence the common name ‘Indian dye’.

The medicinal properties of the goldenseal are due mainly to two alkaloids (hydrastine and berberine) which have antimicrobial properties. In laboratory conditions berberine has been shown to be toxic to fungal cells and some types of cancer cells.”

Hydrastis canadensis – Köhler’s Medizinal Pflanzen

Out in the woods – Hepatica acutiloba

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Well, I tried recently to visit the population called  Hepatica acutiloba –pastel mix (please read: Hepatica acutiloba pastel mix explained).
Even on sunny days, if it is too cold, the Hepatica flowers don’t open entirely though. No worry, there are many pictures from previous years.

So, I recycle an older post with some added notes and we can review already posted pictures. As explained in the link above, this is a localized population of Hepatica acutiloba with flowers in various pastel colors: white, lilac and pink and leaves with long acuminate lobes, mostly marbled in the fall. They all grow close together and I cannot offer seeds from individual specimens, reason why they are listed as Hepatica acutiloba – pastel mix.

Besides Hepatica acutiloba pastel mix, a specimen with star shaped flowers and narrower leaf lobes was named Hepatica acutiloba ‘Purple Star’ (2019).
Since then I also grew some seedlings from it, and the good news is that they came true to the mother plant!

Hepatica acutiloba ‘Purple Star’

Hepatica acutiloba ex. ‘Purple Star’ seedlings

As I mentioned a few times already, Hepatica acutiloba is a bit easier from seeds than Hepatica americana, plus the seedlings grow and flower faster. I say it is a good beginner’s Hepatica to try.
Prepare your hiking shoes: Sanguinaria canadensis is flowering and Claytonia virginica, Erythronium grandiflorum and Trillium erectum are also starting to flower, depending on the location!

Purple beasties – Caulophyllum

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Spring is evolving fast here in Ontario; Hepatica, Sanguinaria canadensis and Claytonia are flowering in our woods. Also, in some places blackish/purple beasties are erupting from the leaf mulch and growing with the speed of light – I am talking about the blue cohosh, Caulophyllum shoots :)

I wrote few times about Caulophyllum (referring in general to both C. thalictroides and C. giganteum) and its seeds, which are hydrophyllic and slow to germinate.
In this post I would like to bring to your attention two things:
The seeds offered up to this year were collected from a mix population of C. thalictroides and C. giganteum. Later in the season they are indistinguishable. C. giganteum is more desirable because has a deeper purple colour, purple flowers, and it gets taller. Depending on the luck, some may obtain C. giganteum seedlings.

This year the seeds of C, giganteum will be offered separate, from a localized population.

Caulophyllum giganteum in early spring

Caulophyllum giganteum, the shoots are coming up with the flower buds which open right away after few sunny days

Then, about germination: the seedlings are also appearing in my garden, and I can show two easy methods to germinate/grow it, without keeping around pots for 2-3 years until the seeds germinate.

  1. Sow the seeds into a compostable container buried into the ground (close to a large perennial, shrub) where you will water once in a while; cover with a mesh to discourage critters. A layer of leaves mulch can also be used in late fall, to mimic the natural environment.

Caulophyllum seeds sown in compostable container, which can remain in place

Caulophyllum seedlings, a bit hard to notice because of the colour

2. Sow the large seeds directly into the garden, also close to a large perennial or shrub, where you know the soil won’t be disturbed. In my picture the seedlings are growing now among Polygonatum buds.

Caulophyllum seedlings obtained by direct sowing in the ground

In a couple of years they can be dug up and planted at the desired place.

Stay tuned – Hepatica acutiloba and H. americana are in full flowering mode :)

The waterleafs – to each its place

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Hydrophyllum virginianum and Hydrophyllum canadense

Among the Crocuses, reticulate Irises, Corydalis and Hepatica in my garden, the young foliage of the waterleafs also appeared last week: H. virginianum (Virginia waterleaf) and H. canadense (Blunt-leaved waterleaf, maple leaf waterleaf).

It makes sense because these species are among the first to carpet the forest floor in eastern North America before the trees leaf out. The foliage in early spring is very attractive with white/silver spots, hence the common name; it will later turn to green.

Hydrophyllum virginianum – early spring foliage

Hydrophyllum canadense

For H. virginianum, soon after the foliage turns green, the helicoidal inflorescences with ciliate calyces start unfolding to reveal the bell shaped flowers with exerted stamens in a wide range of colours from deep lavender to white. Hydrophyllum canadense flowers later and the white flowers remain hidden under the foliage; a pity, they are so pretty!

Hydrophyllum virginianum

Hydrophyllum canadense flowers

Equally important to their attractiveness, the waterleafs are considered as plants with ‘Special value to Native bees’ by pollination ecologists because they attract a large number of native bees. In my forest walks I rarely see a H. virginianum which is not foraged by the bumble bees.

They also have been used as medicinal plants and the young leaves/shoots are edible (other common name for H. virginianum = Shawnee salad)

H. virginianum grows in part-shade/shade deciduous forests; Hydrophyllum canadense is more common in flood plains forests and along streams.
Both spread by rhizomes and will form colonies; reason why some call them ‘weedy’. In any case, under dry shade you don’t need to worry for H. virginianum.
On the other hand, if a low maintenance ground cover is desired, in proper conditions they can do the job. Actually the ‘weedy’ H. canadense is listed as extremely rare or threatened in few US states.

To each its place….

Let me ask you a question now– with all the buzz and fuss about the pollinator plants, in how many gardens have you seen waterleafs cultivated ?

For Hydrophyllum spp. germination info please read: Lost in translation
The fruits mature gradually and split up when ripen; they are not among the easiest seeds to collect.

 

Glaucidium palmatum – experimenting on germination

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Opinions seem to differ about the germination of Japanese woodland poppy; of course the time of seed maturation and provenience/origin, age of the seeds, can all lead to different results.
A little while ago, someone asked a question about this and then a discussion started on the Scottish Rock Garden Forum. This being a highly desired and expensive plant, I decided to repeat sowing seeds using GA3/1000 ppm, just like I did a few years ago in order to have a final idea about what’s happening.

Glaucidium palmatum and G. palmatum ‘Album’ (syn. var. leucanthum)
15 seeds of each/2017 season, collected in SW Ontario.
Treatment with GA3 1000 ppm/sowing next day March 23th.
Pictures taken April 18, 19th
*I only had a few seeds from 2016, and not the very best, so I could not look at the potential effect of their age. Last time I had also sown older seeds and they did fine overall but I cannot provide the % of germination.

The following pictures are of Glaucidium palmatum. Glaucidium palmatum ‘Album’ is starting a bit late, only 3 seedlings can be seen at this time. I did enough damage for now, patience…
I had to take pictures fast but they are good enough for our purpose of counting the germinated seeds:

I removed some of the potting mix and we can count 10 seedlings

plus 3 good that fell off here (I broke one root, sorry), plus some leftover seed teguments – probably 2 seeds were empty

All in all – 13 seedlings from 15 sown (2 unaccounted for).

I went further with the experiment (the pot was too small anyway) and took out all the seedlings, recounted and replanted them, 3/pot. It is the first time I transplant such young Glaucidium seedlings and it will be interesting to see how it goes.

Some of the seedlings may produce a first true leaf (I will update this post later) but most will remain at the cotyledon leaves stage.
Don’t worry when at some point the cotyledons start withering, keep the pots in a part-shaded location and water once in a while. Next spring they will emerge with the true leaf!
For better understanding, here are few older images, with seeds sown/GA3 treated, a few years ago.

Glaucidium palmatum seedlings going dormant for the remaining of the season

Glaucidium palmatum – the same seedlings, emerged early next spring, and I grew them under lights for a while

Following other people’s experience, a good alternative to using GA3 is:
– sow in late fall/winter and provide cold outdoors; some seedlings will emerge in the spring, some in the second  year after sowing.

*Others report warm germination with freshly collected seeds sown in early summer. In my opinion this is not time feasible in the Northern Hemisphere because the seeds mature late; by the time you buy the seeds or receive them from seed exchanges, it will be late fall/winter or even early spring. Those who can procure seeds early in the season can give it a try.

 

Hepatica: pollination, seeds & germination

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One more section added to the Hepatica page; click on the picture or visit the main page.

One more to go…Let’s hope the ice storm goes easy on us and we can relax with the pictures gallery on the weekend.

Update on Jeffersonia diphylla germination

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Short update on Jeffersonia diphylla germination.
I kept a small batch of seeds in the fridge to see if they will start to germinate at cold; some species do it,  others not.

Those who bought seeds should see the first seedlings appearing somewhere in May :)

 Jeffersonia diphylla – germination start in early April at cold; seeds kept moist at all times, warm, then cold (fridge)

 

Warm Peonies

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Instead of getting warmer the weather seems to go backwards. Good news is that in the cold frames things are definitely moving in the right direction.

I noticed the first little red shoots of Paeonia japonica on April 1st. The seeds were sown last late summer: hypogeal germinators, forming roots during the warm period and the first shoots after the winter cold period (cold/moist stratification).

Paeonia japonica one year old seedlings with the first shoots peeking from the pot gravel, April 2018

This is the reason I recently recommended that seeds of Paeonia species (except Paeonia tenuifolia) to be bought and sown as warm germinators. The sowing can be done throughout summer (up to August in a cold climate).
If sown in late fall or winter nothing bad happens, just that it makes no sense to occupy the space with the pots since the seeds need a warm cycle first, plus in case of a wet winter the seeds may rot.

The summer-fall sowing is very straightforward, just use taller than usual pots, if possible: sow, water very well and protect the pots from the critters. Keep well watered and when the winter arrives, place the pots in a frost free location: cold frames, or ‘plant’ them in the ground.

Keep in mind that even if you don’t see anything there are (should be) roots inside the pots!
In this idea, keep an eye on the pots, not to receive excessive rainfall, especially when it gets very cold; this easily leads to roots rot.

Another sowing method is to provide the warm cycle required by keeping the seeds in moist vermiculite in a Ziploc bag (indoors at room temperature) until they form the roots and then place pot them up and place the pots in the fridge for 2-3 months for the cold period. This method requires more supervision; I did it once and now I think it is best to go with the natural cycles of warm and cold.

But if you purchase the seeds too late in the season or don’t have a cold frame, it is a doable method.

I am also thinking about a third method for those on cold climates who want/need to sow in October-November and don’t like to play with Ziploc bags: sow in pots as usual and keep them in the house until Dec./Jan. for the warm cycle (this would give the 2-3 months required), check gently to see if the roots have grown, then gradually place the pots outdoors under the snow (or in the fridge). Gradually means, first keep them for a while in a cold location (garage…); also keep in mind that we don’t usually have reliable snow cover.

I showed it with another occasion, and it is nothing new about it, but here’s what these peonies seeds are doing during the warm cycle,  no matter if sown in pots or kept in the Ziploc bags. We need to be aware at all times of the roots growing in pots that otherwise don’t show anything visible on top. If you let them dry out excessively or to freeze, of course no shoots will show up in the spring!

Paeonia rockii hybrid, emerging roots after a warm period provided in moist vermiculite; the roots will grow further, so best to use taller pots for sowing

As said in this older post The sleeping beauties, it is worth growing species peonies from seeds: they are beautiful, hard to find and when it happens to be available they are on the expensive side. Not all the seedlings may come true to species because of cross-pollination, but even the hybrids obtained from the species are special.