Jeffersonia and Trillium anyone?

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With many thanks to the owner of the well known by now Aspen Grove Garden (Guelph, ON), who collected and successfully tried a new method for storing hydrophilic seeds, we can continue to indulge in Jeffersonia diphylla seeds.

This lovely (and rather rare in Canada) North American native species doesn’t fit the profile for mass propagation. So, here is the chance to grow it for yourself from moist kept seeds, and give it a home in your garden. True that it takes 3-4 years until reaching flowering age but what a joy to see it starting to grow and flowering every spring afterwards.  I will make it a big event when my first seedlings will flower (next year I hope :)

Not too many seeds available this season; for many spring flowering species the pollination has been affected in our region by the very cold weather. Do not wait too long!

Jeffersonia diphylla fresh seeds 2019

Also, we can relax a bit about Trillium grandiflorum. I managed to collect not too many seeds and luckily now there are more.
Do not relax for too long though because, as I showed every year, most of these seeds will start to germinate (little tuber/root) somewhere in September and after that shipping is not possible anymore.

Trillium grandiflorum fresh seeds 2019; most of these seeds will start to germinate (tuber/root only) somewhere in September/early October! like shown in the picture below

Trillium grandiflorum germinated seeds after a first warm cycle; the first leaves will grow after a cold cycle (ie. winter); part of the seeds will only germinate in the second year after sowing

There is plenty to read on this website about growing Jeffersonia and Trillium from seeds, I’ll leave you to the readings :)

We’ll talk later about how to easily keep hydrophilic seeds in good condition for a few months without bothering with Ziploc bags and moist vermiculite.

PS. Caulophyllum thalictroides mix seeds also in stock!

Fruits and seeds platter

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Almost ready to be served; many more to come!

Aristolochia steupii

*Hydrastis canadensis not for sale, we need more plants first!

Late June woodland happenings and Polygala

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The woods are lush, green and full of mosquitoes at this time. Few perennials are flowering (Anemone virginiana in the header image, Hydrophyllum canadense and Medeola), most late spring flowering species are busy growing fruits and few shrubs take center stage, notably: Lonicera canadensis, Cornus rugosa, Diervilla lonicera (also Polygala senega in the image) and Viburnum acerifolium.

Lonicera canadensis

Cornus rugosa

Diervilla lonicera

Viburnum acerifolium

And, very important – the first seeds of Polygala paucifolia  have already been collected! I hope to get more in the next few days. In the last couple of years the seeds set was very low due to the drought. But after a gorgeous flowering in May and cool weather there is hope!

Polygala paucifolia (Gay wings, fringed Polygala)

A special post for Polygala will follow later before the seeds are posted in the Shop.

Mandatory readings

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The first moist packed seeds of the season are flying to various destinations. I want everyone to be successful in germinating and growing these species.
I cannot devise a test but few previous writings are actually mandatory for all purchasing any moist packed seeds:

Moist packing – what’s that?

We got the moist packed seeds – now what?

Hepatica: pollination, seeds and germination

The inventory on Hepatica seeds will be updated tomorrow and few other seeds of warm germinating species will be added to the Spring Shipping rate category!

Until then, I’ll leave you all with the mandatory readings ;) and an image with juicy seeds of Erythronium americanum.

Erythronium americanum fresh seeds

 

June woodland happenings

Now that the Hepatica seeds are all safe and moist and Claytonia capsules are making popping sounds from the paper bags :) we can enjoy a woodland walk.

As the Trillium grandiflorum is coming to an end other species start flowering. The mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum), Trientalis borealis, Aralia nudicaulis, Aquilegia canadensis, Maianthemum canadensis, Maianthemum stellatum, Clintonia borealis and all others are looking very happy after the rainy spring season. Considering the dryness of the last couple of years it is so very pleasant to see the woods looking green, lush and happy! Follow the links to read more about them or just enjoy the pictures.

Hover the mouse or click to open the gallery for the names.

Trillium grandiflorum

Podophyllum peltatum colony, June

Geranium maculatum

Maianthemum stellatum

Aralia nudicaulis

Calla palustris

Clintonia borealis

Cypripedium parviflorum var. parviflorum

Trientalis borealis

Zizia aurea

Aquilegia canadensis

Arisaema triphyllum

Friday’s seedlings: Trillium luteum

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Last year there was only one capsule with few seeds on a Trillium luteum. Nothing else to do but to sow the few seeds.
Easy germinator after warm/cold cycles; moist at all time of course.

Trillium luteum seedlings

Trillium luteum, not only beautiful also with a fresh lemony fragrance!

One picture: epicotyl dormancy

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Sanguinaria canadensis: seedlings of last and this year in the same pot = keep your pots for at least 2 years.

Cycles require for germination (moist at all times): W + C with about 50% of seeds with W + C + W (W- warm, C- cold). From a small sample of seeds you may never know, they can germinate all at once or in stages.
The epicotyl dormancy can be simple or double simple.

Sanguinaria canadensis 2 generations seedlings

Simple epicotyl dormancy = emergence of the roots in autumn and emergence of the shoots following spring; a germination pattern common for many species.

 

 

 

 

Out in the woods

Out in the woods yesterday on a cold, windy day. I knew that the trout lilies (Erythronium americanum) flowers are fading; when it’s happening, the large flowered Trillium (T. grandiflorum) starts to flower – it is a given in our region.
And when the white Trillium is flowering, look up and admire the unfolding buds of Carya ovata (Shagbark hickory); the large, peachy cataphylls are hard to miss. It is another given.
Suddenly, the new, reddish foliage of wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) is all around, together with the yellow bells of Uvularia grandiflora (large flowered bellwort).

Trillium grandiflorum and trout lilies

Trillium grandiflorum

Carya ovata

Trillium grandiflorum- pink

Aralia nudicaulis

Trillium grandiflorum

Uvularia grandiflora

Everything is interconnected.

Note: due to the cool spring, Claytonia virginica and Hepatica seeds will mature later than usual this season.

 

Fridays’s seedlings: native species

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The germination of various species is slower than usual due to the cold spring we have. Of course the native species are among the first to germinate.
Some were sown because I need more plants: Anemone quinquefolia, Asarum canadense, some to test the germination for older seeds: Dodecatheon hendersonii (2016 seeds) , or first time offered species: Zizia aurea.

Anemone quinquefolia seedlings

Asarum canadensis seedlings

Dodecatheon hendersonii seedlings

Zizia aurea seedlings

For Lilium philadelphicum I wanted to test the germination on smaller than usual seeds we obtained in the last 2 years due to drought conditions. I used the ‘freezing’ method described and it seems – size, it does not matter. All germinated!

Lilium philadelphicum seedlings

In the the featured image: Strophostyles helvola, the Amberique-bean; I found 3 leftover seeds, what else to do with them?

Going native: to each its place

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I am not among the people who say that we should grow only native species in our gardens. I think it is extreme and unrealistic. Not all native species are easy to grow and adaptable to garden cultivation. You have to study them first in their wild habitats, understand their needs and determine if these needs can be met in a garden situation. There are many factors involved.

But it is true that everyone can accommodate quite a few of them, and not just because they are hardy and good for pollinators (so are many others), but mainly because they adapt wonderfully in so called ‘difficult locations’ which resemble their native habitat.

To cut a long story short, I was facing a steep slope underneath an old spruce; the soil, or what was left of it, wouldn’t allow digging decent planting holes. The area gets sun in the spring and it becomes more shaded in the summer.
Trying to establish native species on it made sense; entirely. And starting with young plants grown from seeds also made sense: they establish much easier.

This is one part of the area right now: Asarum canadense and Maianthemum stellatum are 3 years old. There are various few smaller seedlings which don’t show and few young Trilliums.  With the backbones in place, I will also directly sow other seeds in late fall; particularly Thalictrum dioicum for its fine texture.

Asarum canadense and Maianthemum stellatum

Lower down, a small patch with Anemone quinquefolia, Hepatica americana – more to be added.

Anemone quinquefolia and Hepatica americana

On the reverse side, there is another small area where water pools temporarily due to a terrain depression and clayish subsoil. I’ve tried a few things which never performed well. Then I switched to Primula mistassinica, Viola nephrophyla, Sisyrinchium montanum, Parnassia, and all is well (the area still ‘under construction’, Viola nephrophylla in the featured image).

It all makes sense.

 

 

Hepatica americana colors

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The colder than usual spring this year (2019) has had one advantage: both Hepatica acutiloba and Hepatica americana have remained much longer in flower which allowed me to have a better look at various populations from which I collect seeds.
I followed few previously known specimens from buds to full flowering and then to fading; this allowed me to understand more about their colors in particular.

I mentioned before that most populations of Hepatica americana where I collect seeds are not blue, there is a fair amount of purple; in ‘real’ they are in the blue-violet range (from pastel to pure). I also never liked to use the ‘pink’ name because none are really pink. Light/pastel blue flowered plants are present only in mixed populations.

Last year I postpone it but I finally made the chart seen above (using the RGB palette) which will be used from now on when talking about Hepatica americana/ and H. acutiloba flowers colors.

Hepatica americana typical for the population where seeds are collected

One phenomenon of this spring was that some plants I knew perfectly as being white, flowered with tinges of pink.
It seems that the amount of antocyanins in flowers varies with the temperature, increasing with the cold weather; this is known to happen to other species as well.

Hepatica americana multipetal white 2018

Hepatica americana multipetal white 2019

Also, in some cases there can be quite a dramatic change from bud to full flowering color – see the transition in H. americana offered as deep pink in 2018; ‘deep pink’ for sure didn’t described it well.
The buds when they open are actually deep violet and then the color fades as the flowers open. First I thought I was looking at a wrong plant, if not for my label! During flowering the color changes gradually.

Hepatica americana deep pink 2018

Hepatica americana deep pink 2019, buds

Hepatica americana deep pink end of flowering 2019

Enjoy the flowers pictures, and a new finding with larger than usual flowers. What color is it? Use the chart.

Hepatica americana multipetal large

Hepatica americana ‘Spring Dawn’

 

Thursday with Sanguinaria canadensis seedlings

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A change in the Friday’s seedlings routine.

In late fall I sowed Sanguinaria canadensis seeds directly in the ground in the idea to show how easy is to do it (like for many native species – take note if you have a large woodland garden/for naturalizations projects). To avoid disturbance by the squirrels, I sowed them underneath the leaves of an old Yucca glauca.

Sanguinaria canadensis seedlings

Sowed and forgotten. I found them the other day when preparing to dig out the old Yucca.

In the fall I forgot that the old Yucca was scheduled to be dug out this spring….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Yucca was removed and the seedlings replanted.
Happy ending.

 

Spring beauties II – Erythronium, Uvularia

Enjoy some ‘sunshine’ while I prepare my report on Hepatica americana 2019.

Erythronium americanum (trout lily) flowering colony

Viola pubescens (downy yellow violet); the only yellow flowered Viola around the region

And Uvularia grandiflora (large- flowered bellwort); due to the cold weather this spring, Hepatica americana still in flower makes a nice combination.

 

 

Friday’s seedlings: Streptopus amplexifolius

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Quick Fridays seedlings with Streptopus amplexifolius, the clasping twistedstalk, a wonderful and rarely cultivated woodlander.
The seeds were collected last year in SE BC in the Lizards Range in mid – August and sowed in early September (they spent the winter outdoors).

Streptopus amplexifolius seedlings; looks like it germinates in waves

I suspect that those who purchased and sowed the seeds during the winter/early spring, will have to wait until next spring for germination, just like various propagation protocols suggests (germination in the second year after sowing).

Time is of the essence for sowing in most cases…

Spring beauties I: Claytonia and Lindera

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Besides Hepatica, quite a few other spring beauties are in flower right now.

Claytonia virginica

The one which literally bears this common name: Claytonia virginica, is a short lived ephemeral. After enchanting us with its cheerful flowers it will retreat in the ground for the rest of the season.
It certainly needs a long beauty sleep!
Others though, will remain and provide beauty, shade, shelter and food for the wildlife until late fall.

Among the first native shrubs to flower in our woodlands is Lindera benzoin, the Northern spicebush.

If hiking in the woods at this time (in the wetter sides) and notice a yellow tinge among the otherwise bare trees branches, then it is Lindera (reason why another common name is forsythia of the wilds). It usually grows as an understory small tree/large shrub on bottomland woodlands and river edges.

Lindera benzoin it is one of the first native shrubs/small tree to flower in the spring; it can be grown in a partly shaded location as a large specimen (by planting few plants together) or in small groups for larger woodland gardens

The yellow flowers which appear in small ‘bunches’ (female/males plants) are a sign of the long awaited spring and very useful to the early pollinators!

Lindera puts its best show in early fall when the foliage turns yellow; wonderful background for the shiny red, abundant fruits (female and male plants need to grow together). They provide food for countless birds but are always in great abundance and some will be left to be admired.

Lindera benzoin, September

Lindera benzoin, fall

The fleshy part of the fruits was/it is chopped and utilized as an allspice (hence the name). The foliage is also aromatic and the leaves and twigs were used to prepare a tea. Not least important, the Spicebush is a favourite larval host for the beautiful Spicebush swallowtail and Promethea silkmoth!

About fruits, seeds and germination:

The seeds are hydrophilic and need to be sown right after collecting or kept moist. After a period of cold/moist stratification they will germinate promptly in the spring (see the post: A late arrival – Lindera benzoin seedlings).

Lindera benzoin fruits & seeds

Hepatica acutiloba pastel mix explained

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Last spring I stumbled upon a most beautiful Hepatica acutiloba population I called pastel mix based on the fact that, on a relatively small area, many plants with various flower colours were growing together: white, light pink, pink striped and lilac/light-purple.
Because the specimens are mixed it would be almost impossible to collect seeds individually, and even so, would they come completely true from seeds? Maybe not. Reason why it was offered as the ‘pastel mix’.

Hepatica acutiloba pastel mix population

In the rush and excitement of the spring I only wrote a short post about it. I also forgot to mention that most of them are fragrant, especially those with pink & white flowers. There are also a few specimens showing a tendency to form multipetal flowers.

Quite a few people took advantage and purchased seeds (moist packed and at a good price too!) but still, some remained and germinated in the Ziploc bags by late winter. Excellent germination!

Hepatica acutiloba (H. americana too) most often appear growing in deciduous woods as localized populations. Sometimes you can walk for hours in frustration not to find one plant.
These grouped populations are most likely the result of the way seeds are dispersed by ants (not at long distances), and/or the fact that others will germinate falling close to the mother plants.
Rarely all the plants are of the same colour; also the foliage and flowers can be variable (width/numbers of the tepals, lobes length and shape).


This is good. It means genetic diversity and the fact that in successive generations more interesting forms are bound to appear.
So, don’t be shy to grow from seeds plants of this population. You may never know what you will see flowering 3-4 years later! Anything similar with these would be desirable (click to open the gallery):

Proof of the genetic variability – walking a bit further in the same area the other day, a specimen with light purple, star-like flowers showed up!

Hepatica acutiloba ‘Purple Star’ (it needed a name :)

Hepatica acutiloba page has been updated  (see there another H. acutiloba that was in need of a name).