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Hudsonia ericoides

Pine Barren Goldenheather · False Heather · Golden-heather

Family CistaceaeGenus Hudsonia

A mass of yellow five-petalled flowers with long stamens, crowded over a bristly-stemmed shrublet.
FlowerDoug McGrady from Warwick, RI, USACC BY 2.0

About the plant

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

Habit
subshrubPlants of the World Online
Flower
YellowFlora of North America

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; Flora of North America — Flora of North America Editorial Committee.

Worth knowing

  • Pine barren goldenheather, or false heather, grows along the east coast of North America from Newfoundland to Delaware, with an outlying population in South Carolina. Wikipedia: Hudsonia ericoides

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

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 Light: light

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

61% germination in 7–42 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Hudsonia p. 153Public domain
Show the original text
Hudsonia (Cistaceae). H. ericoides germ. 70L(61% in 1-6 w), 70D(43% in 1- 5 w), and 40(12%)-70(43% in 0-20 d). Seed DS 6 m at 70 germ. 70L(9%) and 70D(none) showing that DS is injurious to the seed.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Hudsonia p. 153. 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 March 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 35 days to germinate.

43% germination in 7–35 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Hudsonia p. 153Public domain
Show the original text
Hudsonia (Cistaceae). H. ericoides germ. 70L(61% in 1-6 w), 70D(43% in 1- 5 w), and 40(12%)-70(43% in 0-20 d). Seed DS 6 m at 70 germ. 70L(9%) and 70D(none) showing that DS is injurious to the seed.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Hudsonia p. 153. 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 December 16, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    12 germinated in this phase.

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 20 days.

43% germination in 0–20 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Hudsonia p. 153Public domain
Show the original text
Hudsonia (Cistaceae). H. ericoides germ. 70L(61% in 1-6 w), 70D(43% in 1- 5 w), and 40(12%)-70(43% in 0-20 d). Seed DS 6 m at 70 germ. 70L(9%) and 70D(none) showing that DS is injurious to the seed.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Hudsonia p. 153. 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 Very 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. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 6 months from start to sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

9% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Hudsonia p. 153Public domain
Show the original text
Hudsonia (Cistaceae). H. ericoides germ. 70L(61% in 1-6 w), 70D(43% in 1- 5 w), and 40(12%)-70(43% in 0-20 d). Seed DS 6 m at 70 germ. 70L(9%) and 70D(none) showing that DS is injurious to the seed.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Hudsonia p. 153. 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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