Lilium bolanderi germination

Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com
Thu, 18 Jan 2007 13:18:12 PST
Max Withers asked about the germination of Lilium bolanderi.

 

Max, I would put the seed into a zip lock bag with a suitable moist medium.
Then put the baggie into the refrigerator (not the freezer); after about two
months begin to check the seeds for signs of germination. It may take much
longer than that for them to show signs of germination if the seed is old
seed, but within three or four months you should see abundant germination
(i.e. the seeds will have produced a bulblet) from fresh seed. At that
point, bring them out into the warmth and they will produce a leaf.  

 

You mentioned warm-cold stratification: I would not recommend this for this
species or for any western North American lily. Experience here on the east
coast suggests that planting seed of western North American lilies outside
in the spring is an invitation to disaster: they will not germinate at warm
soil temperatures; and in a warm, wet medium they will rot. In other words,
skip the warm stratification cycle. 

 

McRae's recommendation is a good one for garden planted seed in the Pacific
Northwest, where the rains come in August and soil temperatures start to
drop - and where the summers are dry compared to east coast conditions. 

 

 

Jim McKenney

jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com

Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7

My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/

 

Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS 

Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ 

 

Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 


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