Propagation – Page 2 – Botanically Inclined

Cold stratification: part 4, springtime

Paeonia mlokosewitchii shoots after cold stratification; the first stage, roots growing was shown in the previous post (Cold stratification: part 3, the practicals)

Finally the spring arrives – only in our story about the cold stratification 😊We tried our best sowing and providing the cold stratification.

Is there any guarantee that all seeds will germinate well?
Of course not, hope is good, but kept on the realistic side. Sowing and germinating seeds is not a precise science, and many factors, some out of our control, can contribute to a low germination or no germination at all; reason why keeping your pots for at least another year it is always a good idea.

However, at least some species will germinate, and then you may have to deal with too many seedlings! I always recommend to sow smaller batches of seeds every year, instead of 30 pots at once. And, combine easy germinating species with some of the more difficult ones.

What to do when the weather starts to warm up?
I would like to say that we just sit and watch the seeds germinating, but it’s not quite like that 😊

Caulophyllum thalictroides first shoots, after direct sowing (2 years germinator!); work carefully in the spring around the spots where you’ve sown seeds in the ground.

Usually a visible warm up may happen in March in our region, sometimes even later. Not all winters are the same. Unlike the groundhogs, I predict that we will have a very late spring, with short interludes of warm weather here and there.

In case of direct sowing, after the snowmelt, remove the layer of dead leaves/mulch or any other materials you used for extra protection. The best is still to come weather wise, so watch the spot for germination without scratching the ground! In shaded locations it is a good idea to sprinkle a bit of slug pellets around (for just in case).

In case of sowing in moss, there is nothing else to do than waiting for the germination. If too many seedlings appear you will have to transplant some of them later in the season.

In case you sowed in pots, after the snow has melted, open the box(es), or remove any other wrappings from the trays and cold frame to inspect the pots. Most of them will be frozen. Do not worry (follow cold stratification parts 1,2,3); slowly they will start to warm up.

Ideally, boxes and flats with pots should be lifted from the ground on a higher surface to receive more light = warmth. It also makes it easier to keep an eye on them. If March is still very cold, then do this in April.

In case of using a cold frame: open the lid as soon as possible and remove some of the protecting materials. Make a thorough inspection for slugs (eggs can also be at the bottom of pots). Let the lid open as much as possible during warm, sunny days and close it back at night. Most likely you can let go of a part of the wrapping layers.
There is not much to do in the garden so early in the spring. To fuss around the cold frame is a very nice activity 😊 not to mention that early germinating species can take you by surprise.

Corydalis seedlings, frame April 30 2019

Claytonia virginica, March 2018

Galanthus, cold frame 2018

With the pots buried in the ground there is usually more work to be done as soon as the soil warms up, in case the location is not proper for germination (for example a heavy shaded area). Larger containers are usually to be kept in place; remove the layer of leaves/mulch if it was added and check for slugs; in recent years also cutworms have become a real problem (and they are active at very low temperatures).

If the location is not proper for germination, take the pots out, organize them in a tray/box and lift them up on an elevated surface.
Leaving them buried in the ground, will either delay the germination or expose the fresh, succulent seedlings to various ‘accidents’. Check the bottom of these pots for little slugs or slug eggs; often they hide in between the pots in late fall waiting hungrily for the first ‘victims’. The emerging seedlings can be devoured so fast that it may seem there was no germination at all!

Anemone quinquefolia, in ground stratification 2018

Corydalis-solida-seedlings, in ground stratification 2017

Some species are germinating at low temperatures regardless of the cold stratification method. Depending on the temperatures the first signs of germination are possible in March in our climate even when the pots are looking somewhat ‘frozen’.
From my experience, among the early spring germinators are: Adonis, Corydalis species, Claytonia, Fritillaria, Galanthus, Crocus species, Erythroniums, Hepatica, Helleborus, some species peonies.

How to handle our pots, without a cold frame

If you provided cold stratification underneath your patio table/bench, it is very simple, lift them up. It is not that they can be used for something else until May at least.
A good, not expensive investment it is a small, plastic ‘greenhouse’ with a detachable cover. It is light and can be moved around; when it really warms up, replace the plastic cover with a shade cloth.

I also use a folding plastic table and I recommend it as a good option.
Advantages: they come in various sizes, are easy to move around to the best locations from early spring to summer, you can put the flats underneath when it rains heavily…also they have a very good work-height for transplanting the seedlings later! When you’re done, fold it back and put it away.

During the spring (meaning late May!), be on guard for heavy rains, late frosts and not to mention late flurries!!! The pots and the emerging seedlings need protection. Keep some plastic sheets/fleece blankets handy.

If you followed the fridge cold/moist stratification, you need to constantly check for signs of germination. Most times not all seeds germinate at once. Wait until a good percentage of seeds have developed radicles and gently plant them in a pot and keep them outdoors if weather allows or at room temperature (it depends when it happens, so you may need indoor lights).

Will all seeds germinate at once?

Many species have a uniform germination. So, after the seedlings grow up a bit, they can be pricked out, if necessary. * Not all species require pricking out in the first season.
However, other species may germinate gradually over the spring, or over a couple of years (Delphinium fissum, Hepatica, Sanguinaria sometimes, etc.).
In this cases, we believe to be ‘poor germination’, when in fact it is the plant’s mechanism of germinating gradually to give its seedlings better chances of surviving. Wait until you have a few good seedlings to transplant or, keep the pot ‘as is’ until next year.

What happens if species that are actually warm germinators were sown in the fall/winter?

Nothing bad; good seeds should germinate in late spring with the raise of temperature, if they were sown accordingly with their germination requirements.

Before using an indoor lighting system which allows for an early sowing, all species were sown in late fall/early winter and all were overwintered outdoors, either under the snow or in the cold frame. It was never a problem for the usual warm germinating species. Cirsium cannum was overwintered in a tray under snow (shown in the previous post). Other well known warm germinators like Centaurea and Gypsophila species were also sown in late fall with good results.

What to do with the non-germinated pots?

As I mentioned, some species are early germinators at lower temperatures, meaning late February to March, depending on the weather.
From my experience, most other species will germinate between April to early May, in our region. There may be exceptions (Disocorea caucasica for example) but generally speaking if something had not germinated by mid June it won’t happen later in the season.

Organize these pots and keep them together in a part-shaded spot, or again in a box; redo the labeling. Do not forget to check the moisture throughout the season. By late fall, repeat the cold stratification. Some of the very early spring germinators (like Corydalis, Claytonia, Crocus) become dormant in June, so you can group all these pots together.

As I tried to explain, there are many reasons for failed germination. Sometimes, seemingly good looking seeds may have internal defects impeding embryo development or germination. When we sow the actual fruits, we cannot even have a visual assessment of the actual seeds.
Some species naturally need repeated cycles of warm/cold, meaning 2-3 years until germination. Not many people are keeping and taking good care of their pots for so long.

However, sowing every year a few pots with a variety of species it is the key of having seeds germinating, seedlings growing and new plants flowering every season!

Saxifraga cuneifolia ssp. robusta, cold stratification in moss

Zigadenus elegans ssp. glaucus seedlings

*Special attention to all species from Aster family: most of them are warm germinators. No matter how you sowed them, they should germinate in the spring. If they don’t, most likely the fruits/seeds were not good: Asteraceae: seeds, achenes and cypsaele

The Germination page has been reorganized with the cold stratification subject listed under Treatments for seeds germination.

Cold stratification: part 1, dormancy
Cold stratification: part 2, FAQ
Cold stratification: part 3, the practicals

February 6, 2026

Cold stratification – part 2, FAQ

Propagation

The post prepared for today was too long (not again! I hear) so here’s just half of it. A FAQ and few interesting facts about snow insulation.

FAQ

First, which are the plant species that require this treatment in order to germinate well? Many of them, too many to list them here. There is data available for many of the cultivated species. In our seeds offerings these species have the germination info saying: sow in late fall/early winter or, cold-moist stratification required.

How long the cold stratification has to be?
Theoretically, the length of the required cold period can vary from a couple of weeks to a few months (see the last post). In some cases, it is impossible to tell the exact length period because it depends on the type of dormancy, the temperature applied and other factors.

How cold it has to be for the cold stratification to be effective?
It has been proven that for many species regular fridge temperature around 0-4C is OK for the dormancy break and only some species (best known those from fam. Ranunculaceae, various Gentiana. probably other species as well) will actually require below 0C stratification.

However, not all species I’ve tried in the fridge reacted to the treatment. Not only the temperature matters, but also how it is applied. In nature, the temperatures vary during the winter months, and also from day to night. We cannot ‘reproduce’ this in our home fridge and this may be the reason why not all the species react well to stratification in the fridge.

How low is too low, temperature wise?
This question has preoccupied my for quite a while because I usually sown and keep all my pots outdoors. I still do not know the answer; probably no one has gone into this level of details.
In any case, keeping in mind that these seeds are imbibed in water, and in part some physiological processes are already happening inside the seeds, we can assume that for example a range of: -10C, -15C would be too low.

Do we really need snow?
It depends on the stratification method and your location in regards with the winter minimum temperatures. Probably gardeners on the west coast do not need to worry about snow. The insulating benefits of snow are well-known, especially the fluffy kind of snow because the air that is trapped in between the flakes.

Doing a quick search AI kindly informs us that:
“Snow acts as a natural insulator, like a blanket, because its intricate crystals trap a large amount of air (90-95%), which slows heat transfer from the soil to the cold atmosphere, protecting plant roots and soil life from extreme temperature fluctuations and winds. The effectiveness depends on snow quality: fresh, fluffy snow is a great insulator, while hard, compacted snow is a poor one”.

There is also good info on various aspect like:
Depth thresholds: For significant insulation, a certain thickness is required. Measurable warming effects typically begin at 25–30 cm of snowpack. Research in 2026 suggests site-specific thresholds for ground stabilization can be as low as 4–7 cm in alpine regions.

Allium thunbergii ‘Ozawa’, Jan. 15, 2026

Albedo effect: Snow’s high reflectivity (albedo) reflects 80–90% of sunlight back into space, keeping the surface cool during the day.

Average conditions: In moderate winter climates, 10 cm of snow can maintain ground surface temperatures up to 9°C higher than bare ground.

Extreme cold: Studies show that while air temperatures might drop drastically (e.g., to -15°C), the soil under just 10 cm of snow often stays near or slightly below freezing (0°C to -5°C), creating a difference of 10°C or more.

Apparently, 10 cm of snow has an R-value of approximately R-4 (roughly R-1 per inch; comparable to the insulating value of a layer of wood or a thin layer of fiberglass insulation).

We do not always have winters so cold like this one and we are lucky to also have copious amounts of snow, just like last year. So, even if the low was -14C in our area yesterday, with the +/-30 cm of snow the temperature at ground level should have remained decent!
Apparently, even 10 cm of snow are enough to do that.
It explains why the frozen pots I always find in very early spring, either buried in the ground or in the cold frame (while I had it), were not negatively affected germination and/or seedlings growth wise.

Cold stratification, Corydalis 2019

Hepatica nobilis frozen seedlings in the cold frame

Corydalis malkensis, always the first to appear in early spring; frozen ground.

It also explains the buds apparition of the very early flowering species seemingly from the frozen ground in late February or early March, depending on the snow melt: the snowdrops, various Corydalis, Cyclamen coum, Eranthis, some peonies buds and even Helleborus.

In between the snowfalls, temporarily thaws are happening; we just had one last week. The snow melts in some degree and sheets of ice are forming. They are not good insulators and also the weight can be considerable (especially on top of pots above ground). But do not worry, over the years I noticed that there will be no damage.

Above ground container with Sarracenia purpurea two days ago and today. Drosera seeds were also sown in it in late fall – the easiest method of providing cold-moist stratification for seeds :)

Next in Part 3 – cold stratification, the practicals

January 16, 2026

Cold stratification: part 1, dormancy

Propagation

Happy New Year to all again! As the saying goes: out with the old and in with the new, which also means making order in various aspects of one’s life. Website wise, besides deleting older posts with no real significance long term, more important pieces are brought together and pinned on the Germination page.

The cold (moist) stratification as a germination treatment was mentioned many times when talking about germinating various species and how to store your sowing and seedlings over the winter. However, I think one more detailed, only seeds-related post is needed.

First, briefly about seeds dormancy, mostly for those new to germinating seeds. We cannot talk about cold (moist) stratification without a few notes on dormancy.

Easy germination of various non-dormant seeds (species)

As we know, many annuals, and also various perennials, will germinate easily in proper conditions related to light, temperature and humidity. These are non-dormant seeds and we wish all were like this! Examples would fill a whole page: Silene spp., most Dianthus, Bukiniczia, Erinus,some Campanula ssp., Papaver…

On the other hand, in the same conditions, many other seeds stubbornly refuse to germinate; sometimes even after being ‘attacked’ with various so called germination treatments. This is because of the so called seeds dormancy, which we courageously attempt to ‘break’.

The seeds dormancy is commonly described as possible to be: physical, physiological in various levels, morphological and morphophysiological. Gradients between types of dormancy are possible. Many times the seeds may in fact have a combination of these: for example physical + physiological dormancy.

Without going into details (AI can help with that), the physiological dormancy is found in seeds of many species including many perennial plants, also shrubs and trees, and most often it can be broken by the use of a cold (moist) stratification period. It can be: non deep, intermediate and deep, and I found the naming self-explanatory. We can understand why some species will germinate after 1 week of cold (moist) stratification and others after 4 months (those with deep physiological dormancy). One example: Lewisia rediviva with germination after a +/- 1 month of cold stratification and Lindera bezoin with germination after 3+ months. I won’t go into details about the others, will give examples in part 2.

Something else to note is that in some cases even non-dormant seeds can become dormant due to environmental conditions; also dormant seeds can enter a second-dormancy making it even more difficult to ‘break them’.

Hepatica japonica 1 and 2 years old seedlings

Another useful bit: in a given lot of seeds, not all need to have the same type of dormancy. For example, part of the seeds can have physiological, while another part can have morphophysiological dormancy.
In translation – not all seeds will always break dormancy and germinate at the same time (examples: Glaucidium palmatum, Sanguinaria canadensis, Hepatica…).

Back to the cold (moist) stratification which is most commonly required for breaking seeds dormancy in many species, be it as a single treatment or in combination with a warm (moist) stratification (multiple cycles may be required), or in combination with other treatments.

Once upon a time, before we had a million studies about seeds dormancy and its classifications, people would sow seeds in the fall and in most cases they would germinate in some percentage in the spring. In translation – the seeds were applied a natural cold (moist) stratification during the winter.

In nature, most often seeds/fruits fall on the ground when they mature, which can happen from early summer to late fall. The ecological approach to seeds germination always takes this into account.
For example, eeeds maturing in early summer will naturally undergo a warm stratification before the fall arrives and the cold stratification starts, so it makes sense to treat those seeds in the same way when we collect and sow them. If we collect and store them under improper conditions in our home until sowing in the fall, is not the same. It should be no wonder that they react differently and maybe will not germinate in the spring. Examples: Corydalis species, also Erythroniums and other early spring flowering species.

Unfortunately, many studies on seeds germination do not follow an ecological approach. Hence, the contradictory germination results for various species. The same applies for some germination experiments done by gardeners.

Another useful info I would like to share on the subject is that after seeds dormancy was broken, different conditions may be required (for some seeds) to stimulate the germination.
I’ve read it long time ago, but it has taken time for me to really understand the concept. I noticed that some seeds (species) kept in the fridge (vermiculite or moist paper towels) will start growing roots after a while (usually toward the spring) while others not, germinating only after they were taken out the fridge.
Translation 1 – the conditions suitable for dormancy break and germination may or may not be the same, depending on the species.
Translation 2: maybe the seeds are not dormant anymore, but they won’t germinate due to unfavourable conditions.

The general idea I am trying to convey is that some of those little grains we are trying to ‘break’ out of dormancy, may have many reasons for refusing to germinate. There are still many unknowns related to the dormancy and germination, plus there are many differences between the many plant species!

Smilax tamnoides seeds, dormant – keep quiet :)

Something to meditate on until part 2 is ready:

“The dormant-seed stage in the life cycle of many plant species should be visualized as a period of time when things are happening in the seed, e.g., physiological/biochemical and morphological/anatomical changes, growth of the embryo, mobilization of food reserves and certainly activation and deactivation of genes.” (Baskin & Baskin, 2014)

Next in part 2 – we’ll get back to the practical approaches for providing the cold (moist) stratification for seeds (boxes, snow and all that…).

January 9, 2026

Happy cold-moist stratification!

Propagation

Happy New Year to all! Good health, happiness, good germination, beautiful plants and gardens in 2026!
We all hope for a better year and there is nothing more hopeful than sowing seeds and waiting for their germination in the spring!

With copious amounts of snow in most regions of Canada, this is a happy winter for cold-moist stratification outdoors. Sow, keep the pots inside for a little bit and then place them outside under snow.

Using a plastic box is not mandatory, but it will just prevent critters scratching the pots during the snowless periods and in the early spring (a mesh fixed on top works the same).

I continue to use the term ‘cold-moist stratification’ to make the process clear and because I noticed that some people use it with a wrong meaning: “stratification” per se implies a moist medium. Keeping dry seeds in the fridge do not equal stratification.

For many seeds (species) that’s all they need to germinate properly: 2-3 months of cold (moist) stratification, preferably with variations in temperatures throughout the cycle.
Not all the species need it to be as cold as it is right now, but certainly those from the Ranunculaceae family are having a blast this winter!

*What happens if species that are actually warm germinators are sown in the fall/winter? Nothing bad, good seeds (attention to most species from fam. Asteraceae) should germinate in late spring with the raise of temperature (with the exceptions of the ‘two-stage’ germinators that first require a warm cycle followed by a cold one in order to germinate – those I keep advocating to be sown in July-August at the latest).

January 1, 2026

Short review April 2025

Propagation

Continuing the review, at the beginning of April, spring was still slow to start; the Corydalis were trying to join the snowdrops without much success. Another very early spring flowering, Physochlaina orientalis, boosted by the snowmelt, was waiting for the first pollinators.

Then, like it often happens in this area, a sudden rise of temperatures in mid April resulted in the overlapping flowering of many spring wildflowers: Corydalis, Hepatica, Helleborus, Jeffersonia dubia, Draba and Primula species, Pulsatilla….

Corydalis in their many forms and colors were showcased many times in the past, but ‘new’ for this year was a beautiful patch of Corydalis malkensis mixed with Corydalis solida purple, due to my unintentional replanting: a nice mix for our Corydalis ‘Wildheart mix’!

Their ‘relative’, Dicentra cucullaria (a cultivated form), had an exceptional good flowering this year. The white form of Jeffersonia dubia flowered for the first time, reason why I selected it for this article’s cover image.

Erythronium albidum tried to flower more than its usual, Primula glaucescens usually struggling with the not-moist enough location flowered timidly while Fritillaria collina not only flowered well, also produced seeds for the first time later in the year. From the many nice seedlings obtained from the Helleborus ‘Cherry Blossom’ it is enough to show only one :)

Physochlaina orientalis, April 2025

Pulsatilla styriaca pink, 2025

Primula mistassinica, 2025

Paeonia ex. wendelboi, 2025

Primula glaucescens

Erythronium albidum, 2025

Helleborus ‘Cherry Blossom’ seedling 2025

Corydalis ‘WM’ 2025

Hepatica americana #2, 2025

Besides plenty of snow melt, there was also rain in April, and most importantly, no late frosts coming into May! Not too many sunny days, but otherwise it was a very good start of the ‘real’ spring.

December 12, 2025

Early spring 2025 review

Propagation

Galanthus elwesii and Helleborus x hybridus flowers buds in the background

Believe it or not, the year’s end is fast approaching. Looking back at the gardening season is always a reason of joy, sprinkled with little disappointments for things that didn’t go as expected. We learn and move forward!

As I said in a previous early spring review (2022), keeping pictures-records of your garden can serve many purposes besides showing off on social media.
Use them to: compare the emergence of species over the years, decide planting/transplanting locations for various species, understand which of the species are the most resilient and useful to add/propagate more for an early spring show. Every June, I gather all snowdrops capsules and carefully sow the seeds in pots or directly in the garden.

Pictures taken in the spring of 2025, show a very late start of the season, with the snow lingering late into March in parts of Ontario. In this context, all very early bloomers are always a blessing for our winter frozen souls.

Just a few images from March 2025, to better illustrate what species you should grow for early ‘signs of life’ and flowers in a similar climate. The first red shoots of various Paeonia peeking through the ground are equally valuable for me like the blooming snowdrops (Galanthus), Crocuses, winter aconites (Eranthis) and Iris reticulata (‘Katharine Hodgkin’ remains the more reliable). And what’s the very fresh looking rosette right from under the snow? A Capnoides sempervirens 😊

Perennial cold hardy Adonis species are a big bonus. The first Adonis amurensis raised from seeds has timidly bloomed this spring, keeping company to Adonis ramosa. If you manage to add them in your garden do not hesitate; it is worth waiting for them to grow up. The same goes for the tiny Cyclamen coum.

Adonis ramosa, March 27

Adonis amurensis, March 27, 2025

Cyclamen coum March 17, 2025

*This is still an excellent time to sow various species for cold/moist stratification, keep the pots in the house a bit and then bury them under the snow!
My latest sowings: Viola rostrata (in order to have more seeds we need more plants!) and Clematis alpina ssp. sibirica (wild collected seeds are precious).

December 5, 2025

Winter ready

Propagation

We are all now preparing our gardens, sowings and seedlings for the winter. I already provided a few easy solutions for storing various pots in a previous post, available on the Germination page: How to prepare your sowings and potted seedlings for the winter.

I just took few more pictures while arranging my pots with seedlings, sowings and leftover potted plants in the past days. I do not longer use a cold frame, so back to the basics: ‘planting’ the pots in the ground and/or bunching them together and later cover with a fleece/tarp. It is the best, easy method to provide the cold/moist stratification required by various species. Easy-peasy, everyone has some space in the garden between perennials and shrubs that can be used this way: sown this fall Diphylleia, Daphne mezereum and few others (species that require cold/moist stratification), pots with Hepatica and Helleborus seedlings, young, potted Thalictrum petaloideum planted for the winter.

Sowings for cold/moist stratification: Diphylleia, Daphne…

Helleborus seedlings, Hepatica

Thalictrum petaloideum

New for this fall, I am using a tall container that was filled with annuals during the season, to ‘plant’ some old and new sowings little pots. While cleaning away the petunias and others, the large empty space was begging for few pots to be buried in it. Being above the ground I don’t know how it will work but worth to give it a try .

We’ll see how it goes.

November 22, 2025

Friday’s seeds special mix

Propagation

A mix bag of seeds for today. After the first snow, usually we start thinking about the stocking stuffers. These are all seeds from garden grown plants, in limited quantities, that were just added in the inventory. Maybe you will find something special for you and your gardening friends 😊in our SEED LIST.

Something for the Gentiana lovers:
Gentiana paradoxa – flowering by itself this year, so the seedlings will be true to species: Marvellous Gentiana
Plus, Swertia perennis which got a great start in late spring before the drought arrived, so
the seeds are very limited.

Gentiana paradoxa 2023

Swertia perennis

Something for those looking after really interesting rockery plants (show them to your buddies or on social media kind):
I took advantage of the bad weather and sorted out through the Bukiniczia cabulica ‘fruits’.
We discussed about Bukiniczia ‘seeds’ a few times. A very easy to germinate biennial plant, IF the seeds are good.

Physoplexis comosa – new to our SEED LIST, where you can also find other special plants.
A plant portrait and more details about this interesting rock garden species on the product page.

Bukiniczia cabulica

Physoplexis comosa 2025

For those looking to extend their fall flowering season:
Lomelosia olgae ; we already talked about it here: Friday’s seeds and a plant portrait

For the wild orchids aficionados (micropropagation ‘in vitro’):
Cypripedium acaule, the Mocassin flower.

Lomelosia olgae, October

Cypripedium acaule

Reminder:
*The priority at this time is to first sow all species that require a cold/moist stratification and organize a place for the pots outdoors.
** There are still some moist packed seeds left in the inventory, do not wait for much longer; the shipping window is getting smaller by the day!

November 14, 2025

Friday’s seed with Water arum

Plant portraits, Propagation

Mucilage enclosing the seeds of Calla palustris

The abundance of red fruits of the Water arum, Calla palustris, draw my attention the past weekend while looking for (and not finding) skunk cabbage fruits.
Although the last, bad experience of extracting the seeds from the Water arum berries was still vivid in my mind, I took a couple of them.

The fruits are clusters of red berries; each berry contains a few seeds, enclosed in a mucilage, which is almost impossible to get rid off. The seeds are best extracted by squeezing the end of the berry; even so, the ‘blobs’ of mucilage seem to have a long life of their own :O

The Water arum is a very hardy and reliable flowering species for any wet areas in cold climates, easily growing and forming colonies in still, shallow waters like ponds, streams edges; it can also be cultivated in large water-containers.

Like other members from the Araceae family, the ‘flowers’ are formed from a showy white spathe surrounding a cylindrical spadix bearing the greenish-white, small real flowers.

I will not repeat the experience too soon, so those with proper garden conditions do not miss this opportunity. Very important, the seeds need to be kept moist packed!
Other native species added to the inventory:
Aruncus dioicus – new
Asclepias exaltata

November 7, 2025

Friday’s seed with Uvularia

Propagation

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 habitat, early May

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

October 24, 2025

Friday’s seed and plant portrait – Lomelosia olgae

Propagation

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!

October 17, 2025

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

Propagation

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 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.

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.

October 3, 2025