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Amsonia tomentosa

Woolly Amosonia · Woolly Bluestar

Family ApocynaceaeGenus Amsonia

Clusters of pale star-shaped flowers with yellow throats on a woolly gray-leaved plant, on red desert sand
FlowerStan ShebsCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
Bluish, whiteFlora of North America
Native range
Arizona, California, Nevada, UtahGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Flora of North America — Flora of North America Editorial Committee; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Woolly bluestar comes in two forms, one green and hairless, one gray and woolly. Among the Zuni, a poultice made with the root of the woolly form is applied with much ceremony to rattlesnake bites. Wikipedia: Amsonia tomentosa

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around April 1, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 4 days to germinate.

100% germination in 2–4 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Amsonia p. 19Public domain
Show the original text
Amsonia (Apocyanaceae). A. tomentosa germ. 70D(5/5 in 2-4 d) and 40(2/5 in 2-6 w)-70D(3/5 on 2nd d).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Amsonia p. 19. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 3, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    2/5 germinated in this phase.

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 2 days.

60% germination in 2 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Amsonia p. 19Public domain
Show the original text
Amsonia (Apocyanaceae). A. tomentosa germ. 70D(5/5 in 2-4 d) and 40(2/5 in 2-6 w)-70D(3/5 on 2nd d).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Amsonia p. 19. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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