Species
Propagation guides for less-commonly-cultivated North American native plants.
-
How to Grow Sweet Grass (Anthoxanthum hirtum, formerly Hierochloe odorata) from Seed
Anthoxanthum hirtumHierochloe odoratasweet grassThis fragrant grass germinates poorly at room temperature, so an alternating temperature regime mimicking spring conditions is recommended.
-
How to Grow Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) from Seed
Asclepias purpurascenspurple milkweedPreliminary results from my propagation trials
-
How to Grow Wild Hyacinth (Camassia scilloides) from Seed
Camassia scilloideswild hyacinth, Atlantic camas, eastern camasThis spring ephemeral requires multiple growth cycles of warmth followed by chilling before reaching flowering size.
-
How to Grow Scarlet Painted-Cup (Castilleja coccinea) from Seed
Castilleja coccineascarlet painted-cup, scarlet paintbrushAlthough a generalist hemiparasite, the choice of host plant makes a substantial difference when growing in containers.
-
How to Grow Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) from Seed
Dicentra cucullariaDutchman’s breechesThese seeds have a two-part germination, sending out a root after a period of warm–moist stratification, then a shoot after…
-
How to Grow Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) from Seed
Gentiana andrewsiibottle gentian, closed gentianIf you’ve failed to germinate bottle gentian, it’s not you—it’s the seeds.
-
How to Grow Downy Gentian (Gentiana puberulenta) from Seed
Gentiana puberulentadowny gentian, prairie gentianAlthough easy to germinate, growing downy gentian to transplantable size requires patience, and often a cycle of chilling.
-
How to Grow Stiff Gentian (Gentianella quinquefolia) from Seed
Gentianella quinquefoliastiff gentian, agueweedIt’s easy to grow this gentian from seed, but getting them to survive in the garden is a bit more…
-
How to Grow Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) from Seed
Geum triflorumprairie smoke, old man’s whiskersIt turns out these are incredibly easy to germinate.
-
How to Grow Michigan Lily (Lilium michiganense) from Seed
Lilium michiganenseMichigan lilyA complete guide to germinating and growing out Michigan lily
-
How to Grow Prairie Lily (Lilium philadelphicum) from Seed
Lilium philadelphicumwood lily, prairie lilyGermination is simple, but plants often fail to grow large enough to transplant in their first season, so a cycle…
-
How to Grow American Lotus (Nelumbo lutea) from Seed
Nelumbo luteaAmerican lotusGrowing this aquatic species from seed requires a mineral substrate and warm conditions.
-
How to Grow Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) from Seed
Passiflora incarnatamaypop, purple passionflowerThese seeds require no pretreatment, and germinate quickly when given hot conditions.
-
How to Grow Wood Betony (Pedicularis canadensis) from Seed
Pedicularis canadensisCanadian lousewort, wood betonyPreliminary results suggest that seeds do not store well and must be sown or pretreated soon after harvest.
-
How to Grow American Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla nuttalliana, formerly Anemone patens) from Seed
Pulsatilla nuttallianaAnemone patensAmerican pasqueflower, prairie crocusDespite common belief, cold–moist stratification does not improve germination for this early bloomer.