Anemone berlandieri germination requirements

Jane McGary janemcgary@earthlink.net
Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:07:45 PDT
I haven't ever grown (or indeed seen) Anemone berlandieri, which 
sounds wonderful. Best of luck to Boyce Tankersley in getting it into 
cultivation!

In general, Anemone species can be sorted into two categories as far 
as seed germination is concerned. (Checking the name suggests that A. 
berlandieri is a "narrow" Anemone, not a Pulsatilla, which is a third 
group in that context.) Those that have seeds surrounded by cottony 
hairs, such as the familiar A. multifida, tend to remain viable in 
dry storage and can be planted in fall after spring collection. Those 
that have smooth seeds (I think the correct word for the structure is 
"achene") tend to have short viability and must be planted as soon as 
harvested. Presumably the former sort have evolved in climates where 
seed ripening is followed by a dry period, and the latter where seed 
is dispersed at a time when conditions are more likely to be moist.

That said, even such Ranunculaceae as Eranthis and Adonis, which have 
the smooth, short-lived seeds, can eventually produce a seedling or 
two from stored seed. Thus, it's worth planting such seeds even if 
you think they will never germinate. I've raised three species of 
Adonis and one Eranthis from seed this way, and a couple of 
Ranunculus -- in every case, only one plant from a packet of seed.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA

At 09:01 AM 4/13/2010, you wrote:
>My wife and I visited the Hill Country of Central Texas a couple of
>weeks ago. On a hilltop just west of Fredericksburg we came across an
>Anemone with an incredible assortment of colors (from dark purple
>through lavender to a stunning white). On the last day of our visit I
>noticed that some of the plants were starting to disperse their seeds
>and I collected a few (not easy on a windy day).
>
>Also on the last day I found Alophia drummondii in flower - the high
>point of the trip!
>
>Can anyone suggest how I should treat the Anemone seeds?


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