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Erythronium grandiflorum

White Glacierlily · Avalanche-lily · Glacier Lily · Yellow Avalanche-lily

Family LiliaceaeGenus Erythronium

A nodding golden lily flower with petals curled back from pale hanging anthers, above broad leaves
FlowerWalter Siegmund (talk)CC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

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

Habit
bulbous geophytePlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
Bright yellow, white, creamyFlora of North America
Native range
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

Two sources report 4 treatments between them. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 21, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 20, 2026.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 3 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 77 days.

35% germination in 49–77 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Erythronium p. 42Public domain
Show the original text
Erythronium (Liliaceae). E. grandiflorum has now been studied with a much larger sample. As expected germination does not require light. The data are 70D-40-70D(12% in 1-4 w)-40(8%) and 40-70D-40(13% in 12th w)-70(23% in 2 d-7 w)-40-70(4%). Germination was speeded up by GA-3 as shown by 70-40 GA-3(35% in 7-11 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Erythronium p. 42. 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 High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around May 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on May 21, 2026.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

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

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    13 germinated in this phase.

  4. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  5. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  6. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    4 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 4 run on after germination.

about 9 months from start to step 4. Germination happens during step 4, in 49 days.

23% germination in 2–49 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Erythronium p. 42Public domain
Show the original text
Erythronium (Liliaceae). E. grandiflorum has now been studied with a much larger sample. As expected germination does not require light. The data are 70D-40-70D(12% in 1-4 w)-40(8%) and 40-70D-40(13% in 12th w)-70(23% in 2 d-7 w)-40-70(4%). Germination was speeded up by GA-3 as shown by 70-40 GA-3(35% in 7-11 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Erythronium p. 42. 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, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 10, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 9, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

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

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

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

  4. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    8 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 3 run on after germination.

about 6 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 28 days.

12% germination in 7–28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Erythronium p. 42Public domain
Show the original text
Erythronium (Liliaceae). E. grandiflorum has now been studied with a much larger sample. As expected germination does not require light. The data are 70D-40-70D(12% in 1-4 w)-40(8%) and 40-70D-40(13% in 12th w)-70(23% in 2 d-7 w)-40-70(4%). Germination was speeded up by GA-3 as shown by 70-40 GA-3(35% in 7-11 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Erythronium p. 42. 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 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 17, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 16, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

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

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

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

about 6 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 21 days.

50% germination in 21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Erythronium p. 140Public domain
Show the original text
Erythronium (Liliaceae). E. grandiflorum germ. 70L-40-70L(1/2 in 3rd w). Although none germ. in the dark, the data is obviously too meagre to conclude that light is required.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Erythronium p. 140. 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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