Time to sow & colorful baneberries
The well-rooted habit of sowing seeds mostly in very late fall and winter has unfortunately given rise to misconceptions about the germination requirements of some plants, claiming that they need 2 seasons for germination (or that they are very difficult to germinate in case of hydrophilic seeds).
The truth is that they only need to be sown at the right time, which is: from late summer to late fall in a temperate climate.
Failing to do so, these species will indeed need to spend 2 years in pots in order to germinate, and may also have a reduced percentage of germination. Medeola, Caulophyllum and those with double dormancy will still germinate in the second year/or over a period of two years.
I compiled a short list with the seeds which germinate best when sown asap, see below. It is by no means exclusive; I am sure there could be many others having this requirement.
Regarding Actaea (baneberry), this fall we have the occasion to sow baneberries with fruits of all colors: red, white, magenta, and even black (see Actaea spicata). Highly underused plants for the gardens, baneberries are tough, cold and drought resistant, have beautiful foliage and fragrant flowers followed by colorful fruits!
Among offerings this fall there are also seeds collected in SE British Columbia: Actaea rubra ssp. arguta and A. rubra ssp. arguta fo. neglecta; read about them on the product pages (click the links).
Stay tuned for Shop re-opening this week and a few more announcements!
Genera/species which require to be sown by late summer/early fall, for best results.
| Warm stratification followed by cold stratification | Genera with hydrophilic seeds | Genera with hydrophilic seeds |
| Actaea ssp. | ||
| Anemonastrum | Asarum | Jeffersonia |
| Cornus | Aconitum (most species) | Lindera |
| Crocus | Aristolochia | Medeola |
| Daphne mezereum, Daphne tangutica |
Saruma | Paris |
| Delphinium (tuberous ssp.) | Caulophyllum | Panax |
| Galanthus | Claytonia | Podophyllum |
| Euonymus | Corydalis (some species) | Prosartes |
| Helleborus | Clintonia | Sanguinaria |
| Hydrophyllum | Dicentra | Stylophorum |
| Ilex | Diphylleia | Uvularia |
| Lilium (most species) | Erythronium (most species) | Trillium |
| Paeonia (except P. tenuifolia) | Epimedium | |
| Streptopus | Hydrastis | |
| Viburnum | Hepatica |
*This is not an exclusive list.
Some species may still germinate in the second year after sowing, or from various other reasons may not germinate at all, but at least we did our best by sowing at the right time.
