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Eriogonum flavum

Alpine Golden Buckwheat · Alpine Golden Wild Buckwheat · Yellow Buckwheat

Family PolygonaceaeGenus Eriogonum

Bright yellow flower heads, some flushed orange, over gray woolly leaves on broken red rock
FlowerMatt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USACC BY-SA 2.0

About the plant

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

Habit
subshrubPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herb, SubshrubPLANTS Database
Flower
Pale yellow, bright yellowFlora of North America
Native range
Alaska, Canada, lower 48 statesPLANTS Database

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.

Worth knowing

  • Flavum is Latin for yellow, the color of its flowers. Plains tribes used the mashed roots as ear plugs and the flowers in tanning buffalo hides, and children ate the roots as a sweet snack. The wildflower writer Claude A. Barr called it an outstanding garden flower. Wikipedia: Eriogonum flavum

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 25, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

Germination happens during step 1, in 70 days.

72% germination in 21–70 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Eriogonum p. 139Public domain
Show the original text
Eriogonum (Potygonaceae). Germination often occurred at comparable rates at 40 and 70, it often occurred throughout each 3 m cycle, and it often extended over two cycles. The data is summarized in the following Table except for E. flavum 70(50% in 4-8 d) E. flavum var. xanthum 70(62% in 1-6 w) 40(72% in 3-10 w)
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Eriogonum p. 139. 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, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 42 days to germinate.

62% germination in 7–42 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Eriogonum p. 139Public domain
Show the original text
Eriogonum (Potygonaceae). Germination often occurred at comparable rates at 40 and 70, it often occurred throughout each 3 m cycle, and it often extended over two cycles. The data is summarized in the following Table except for E. flavum 70(50% in 4-8 d) E. flavum var. xanthum 70(62% in 1-6 w) 40(72% in 3-10 w)
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Eriogonum p. 139. 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 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 28, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 8 days to germinate.

50% germination in 4–8 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Eriogonum p. 139Public domain
Show the original text
Eriogonum (Potygonaceae). Germination often occurred at comparable rates at 40 and 70, it often occurred throughout each 3 m cycle, and it often extended over two cycles. The data is summarized in the following Table except for E. flavum 70(50% in 4-8 d) E. flavum var. xanthum 70(62% in 1-6 w) 40(72% in 3-10 w)
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Eriogonum p. 139. 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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