Pulsatilla pair
In an ideal world, the mail would function well and small letters would arrive in a couple of weeks from any corner of the world. Unfortunately, we do not live in such a world, and it has become the rule that seeds from far away regions arrive with great delays.
Despite this, I am always very grateful to receive such seeds, especially when wild-collected with great effort!
To the point: we have a great opportunity to try and grow two Pulsatilla species of the Far East regions:
Pulsatilla tatewakii from Sakhalin
and the rarely cultivated Pulsatilla taraoi from Kuril Islands.
I do not have pictures with the flowers (I am sure everyone would jump to purchase seeds!). Links with photos and short descriptions of these wonderful, very cold hardy Pulsatillas can be found on the products page (click on the names).
About sowing and germination:
For most Pulsatilla species, the seeds germinate best when sown fresh; some require a moist/cold stratification period. However, sometimes we cannot abide by the rules and have to improvise.
Some species also germinate well after a GA3 treatment. I had the occasion to try Pulsatilla tatewakii a few years ago and the seeds germinated well with GA3 treatment. I do not know if Pulsatilla taraoi would do the same; it is so rare in cultivation that not much info is available.
In any case, it is best to sow both species asap with or without GA3. Sow and keep the pot in a cool location indoors (+/- 15C). If they do not germinate indoors, continue to keep the pot moist throughout the season outdoors, and let it overwinter outdoors; hopefully they will germinate in the spring of 2026 after a cold/moist stratification.
Of course, stratification in moist towels in the fridge is also an option; however, this method is not working well for many species of the Ranunculaceae family.
First, let’s try them with GA3 (not sold on this website!):
Recap on how to easily prepare a GA3 solution.
Reminder: if new to this website, please have a look at the Shipping & Delivery page – for all local orders: min 2 pck. of seeds/order; international orders – min. 4 pck./order.
I sowed for testing a few seeds yesterday (with GA3 treatment); updates when/if they germinate.
