Veratrum on the Wiki
Jane McGary (Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:07:25 PDT)
Alberto asked,
Under which conditions do Veratrums
germinate? Does the seed must be prechilled in mild climates? Is
there a delay or it germinates readily after being shed?
The pleated foliage is so spectacular that
it is worth the effort to start from seed. From your comments it
must be slow to grow.
When direct sown just as it became ripe in summer, it germinated in
early spring. Sown later in fall in pots (Tom sent me some seeds), it
germinated also in early spring after exposure to chilling all
winter. This suggests that moist chilling is required for
germination, but it takes only one winter season, not two. And yes,
the plants are very slow to mature. I think it took about 7 years for
the native species to grow from sowing to flowering in my former
garden. It's better to propagate them from offsets, which at least in
V. californicum are numerous.
Jane McGary
Portland, Oregon, USA