In the wild, the seeds mature after the rains end, so the seed has to be able to hang out on the surface of the baked soil, hot, brutally dry, and sunny. So stratification is probably the summer exposure, germination with the autumn rains. They, umm, look like any number of invasive weeds, as seedlings. The best formula for good flowering is early heavy rains, followed by dryness to inhibit annual grasses and other winter annuals. They do well in consistently wet years, but flowering and growth is more moderate. Note that this is wilderness conditions, in cultivation, without competition, the results might favor heavy flowering. Robert in dry dry San Francisco (currently the second longest mid-rainy season dry spell), but still enough soil moisture to keep the winter bloomers going. On Tue, Feb 8, 2022 at 8:03 PM Steve Marak via pbs < pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote: > I can speak only for the local Dodecatheon meadia, which I think has > been moved to Primula, but it's viable for at least several years with > room temperature dry storage. Here (NW Arkansas) it's a plant of the > prairie remnants and occasional spring damp hillsides, bluffs, and > glades - nothing in deep shade, and usually very dry and hot in summer. > > The prairie form here is exclusively white flowered, and very attractive > in the spring with the flower heads floating over the emerging grasses. > > Steve > > On 2/8/2022 8:29 PM, Joe G via pbs wrote: > > According to J. L. Hudson, Dodecatheon seed has a 10-year half-life. > > Jelitto seems to have pretty reliable & timely restocking though (I've > > emailed them to ask about some of their short-lived/hydrophilic seed) so > > you're probably good either way! > > > > -joe > > > > > > On Tue, Feb 8, 2022, 6:45 PM Uli via pbs < > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > > wrote: > > > >> Dear All, > >> > >> The pictures of Dodecatheon wet my appetite (Thank you very much, > >> Robert) and I found out that they would be perfectly happy in my > >> climate and on my lime free soil. Somehow the shooting stars never > >> crossed my mind as garden plants. I checked with Jelitto and they offer > >> some species which are summer dormant. If I would order now and sow in > >> autumn, is that advisable? Is the seed long lived enough to still > >> germinate in autumn? Or better take the chance and hope that fresh seed > >> will be on offer later? I have no experience at all with this genus and > >> do appreciate your advice and experience. > >> > >> Thank you very much > >> > >> Uli > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> pbs mailing list > >> pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > >> http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > >> Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > pbs mailing list > > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> > _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net>