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.

 

Hepatica pictures gallery

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A perfect day to think about the blooms to come!
Click on the picture to enter the gallery.

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)

 

Hepatica – The queens of the woodlands

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As soon as I saw the first sign of Hepatica buds movement in the garden and the tiny new seedlings of the year, I felt a sense of urgency to organize all the material I’ve been gathering on Hepatica.
The queens of the woodlands will bring the forest floor to life once again in no time!

Having had other posts published and a lot of pictures I thought it would be easy; more than a week later, I was proven wrong.
I am almost done – this is the big purple button leading to their page :)

Explore the world of North American Hepatica!


These are the published sections of the page (you can enter by clicking the pictures as well):

Two more sections to follow shortly:
          Hepatica: Pollination, seeds & germination

          Pictures gallery

 

 

The pain and joy of dealing with moist stored seeds

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When I embarked on my seeds adventures few years ago, I’ve decided that there will be no DOD’s offered by BotanyCa (DOD = dead on delivery).
Sometimes seeds won’t germinate from unforeseen reasons, abnormalities and so on… Offering seeds that you know from the beginning won’t germinate or will germinate in very low percentage is a completely different story.

So, I accept the losses and the fact that there will always be leftover seeds germinated in the Ziploc bags by early spring.
When it comes to seeds, just like in nature, everything is accomplished with a great waste of energy. Yet, I am always sad when the time comes to end their ephemeral life.

Stylophorum lasiocarpum germinated seeds

Saruma henryi: germinated seeds which cannot be safely shipped anymore

 On the other hand, I imagine the joy of all those who bought moist packed seeds when they start to germinate!

Other species which ALWAYS start to germinate by late February when kept moist are: Asarum ssp,, Claytonia, most Corydalis,  Aconitum, Hepatica, Podophyllum spp., sometimes Maianthemum stellatum and M. canadense.
*If kept dry some of these species may germinate in the second year, in low percentage.
I hope there is be a better understanding now why seeds of these species need to be ordered in early winter!

 

More Comps flowers and apologies

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I knew this it will happen sooner or later and I knew it will be a damn comp – running short on seeds for an order.
Luckily there are many other species that I can make up with for the missing Aster alpinus seeds.

Aster alpinus – good (upper right corner) and bad ‘seeds’

The embarrassing moment put behind, let’s have a look at a few more Comps flowers.

Growing Podophyllum from seeds, including Dysosma and Sinopodophyllum

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While in the Berberidaceae realm, here’s a post where I outlined as best as possible, the process of growing Podophyllums from seeds from A to Z.

The Chinese Podophyllums (syn. Dysosma), share similar seeds and germination requirements as our native Podophyllum peltatum (mayapple). In all cases, the seeds are enclosed inside fleshy fruits. After the fruits are collected, it is important to extract and clean the seeds right away. This can be a bit unpleasant because the inside containing the seeds is gelatinous (use a sieve and lightly rub the seeds out and rinse, rinse and rinse again).

The sowing must be done right away (Sept./October) or the seeds must be placed in moist vermiculite in Ziploc bags until sowing. The seeds are easy to keep in moist vermiculite as long as were well cleaned; you only have to check the moisture level once in a while (one exception noted for Dysosma aurantiocaule, when the seeds got soft fast (but I had a small lot of seeds and cannot really generalize).

I must emphasize that these seeds are hydrophilic, and using dry seeds to sow, in my opinion, is a complete waste of time.

Dysosma seeds in moist storage

The required cycles for germination are: Light WARM (late fall temperatures)/COLD (winter)

  1. Sowing outside: the time would be early to late fall. Sow as usual in pots/large containers, water and keep them over the winter in a cold frame. Easy done, no worries!

Podophyllum peltatum, Mayapple, seedlings germinated outdoors showing the cotyledon leaves; they will remain at this stage in the first year and do not need pricking out. Later in the season, they become dormant (do not throw away the pots!)

  1. Sowing indoors: usually done in the winter/early spring with seeds that have been kept moist and allowed a light warm/cold period. The cold period can be provided in a cold garage/fridge. It is not advisable to use this method unless enough light can be provided for the growing seedlings (light stand, conservatory).

If someone wants to speed up the process, the Ziploc bags with seeds can be taken out of the fridge around late January/February and kept at room temperature; gradually the seeds will start to germinate and can be potted up one by one and placed under the lights.

Dysosma hybrids (pleiantha x versipellis, syn. Podophyllum pleianthum x versipelle) seedlings

Or, leave the Ziploc in the fridge until all seeds start to germinate towards spring (approx. March/April), pot them up and provide adequate conditions until they can go outside.

Dysosma hybrid, seeds germinated in the fridge, April 21

In most cases, only cotyledon leaves will be formed, in other cases the true leaves will appear as well. Usually, Podophyllum peltatum will form only cotyledon leaves in the first season, grow for a while and then go dormant; the Chinese ones are variable, most will form a true leaf. When growing from seeds there is always great variability.
Keep the seedlings in a part shaded place, water and feed lightly. At some point in the summer they may go dormant, especially in very hot weather.

All the seedlings which didn’t form a true leaf in the first year, will do it in the second year. Be patient, like with all other species that form a rhizome. In general, 3-4 years are necessary to obtain a good young plant; they will grow really fast after the root system has bulked up.

Podophyllum hexandrum (syn. Synopodophyllum hexandrum)

The difference in this case is that the seeds are not hydrophilic, so they can be kept dry in the fridge for quite a few years. Of course, when sown fresh (fall), they will germinate in the spring.

For dry seeds, a GA3 treatment followed by sowing at room temperature usually will result in rapid germination, and sometimes most seedlings will present the true leaf (but not always).

Podophyllum hexandrum seedling with true leaf

Important for all species: in the first 1-2 years lots of energy is put into forming the radicular system; this translates in the fact that the seedlings need enough space to develop. So, either sow fewer seeds per pot or transplant them in individual pots as soon as possible (in dormant stage!).
I think my pictures show very well what I mean; learn from my mistakes ;) If you sowed too dense don’t panic; when the seedlings are dormant (in very early spring), shake the soil, untangle the roots gently and pot them in a fresh mix in larger size pots.

Podophyllum hexandrum crowded seedlings after one season growth  in the same pot

Podophyllum hexandrum one-year seedlings prepared for repotting, notice the variation in size

Again, there is always variation when growing from seeds; we cannot expect all the seeds, even from the same batch, to grow the same: the collection site, mother-plant, ambient factors, all have an influence in germination & growth of the seedlings. This picture with one year old Dysosma plants shows it very well:

Dysosma hybrid one year old plants, prepared to be repotted in early spring

I hope this will be helpful for all wanting to grow any Podophyllum/Dysosma species from seeds – Happy Podos growing!

Fridays Seeds and much more about the fuzzy wild bean – Strophostyles

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I wanted something special for this arctic day and the woolly seeds of Strophostyles helvola are just perfect; I will stress again the woolly :)

Strophostyles helvola coiled pods and seeds

Strophostyles helvola, trailing wild bean (or amberique bean)  is an annual vine native to eastern Canada and the US; the pea-like flowers are light pink/lilac and they form pods very similar with those of Phaseolus vulgaris; the pod coils when it dries up to release 4-8 woolly  seeds.
The stems will trail on other plants, or if not, will inter-twine with each other on the ground, just like Amphicarpaea bracteata does (google images).

This species has had various medicinal uses for the Native Peoples, and there are also indications that the seeds were used as a food source; they were found in a few archeological sites in NA.

Those interested can read more about this in the curriculum of the Advanced Paleoethnobotany Seminar from Washington University: https://pages.wustl.edu/fritz/strophostyles-helvola-l.-elliot

And, while talking wild foods, it’s winter so new ideas are always welcomed – have a look at this article which recommends other edible species found on the coastal habitat (same where Strophostyles can also be found):

https://ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/previous-issues/2011-2/summer-2011/coastal-wild-edibles-stalking-the-wild-sea-lettuce/

What about: amberique-bean humus with cattails au gratin?
Go foraging this year! :))