Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Libertia chilensis

Chilean-iris · Satin Flower

Family IridaceaeGenus Libertia

Clusters of white three-petalled flowers with yellow anthers, on dark red stems
FlowerLokal_ProfilCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

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

Habit
perennial or rhizomatous geophytePlants of the World Online
Flower
WhiteRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
Argentina South, Chile Central, Chile South, Juan Fernández Is.GBIF 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; Read from the photograph on this page — Deno's Garden; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Despite the name New Zealand satin flower, this libertia comes from Chile, Argentina and the Juan Fernández Islands. It has gone wild in parts of California and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Wikipedia: Libertia chilensis

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 11, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Warm moist stratification

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

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    5 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 1, in 84 days.

70% germination in 21–84 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Libertia p. 44Public domain
Show the original text
Libertia (Iridaceae). L. formosa germ. 70D(70% in 3-12 w)-40(5%), 70L{45% in 5-7 w), and 40- 70D(50% in 2nd w). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D(1/5 in 6th w)-40(1/5 in 12th w) and 40- 70D(1/9 on 2nd d)-40(2/9 in 10th w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Libertia p. 44. 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, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 22, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  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 14 days.

50% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Libertia p. 44Public domain
Show the original text
Libertia (Iridaceae). L. formosa germ. 70D(70% in 3-12 w)-40(5%), 70L{45% in 5-7 w), and 40- 70D(50% in 2nd w). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D(1/5 in 6th w)-40(1/5 in 12th w) and 40- 70D(1/9 on 2nd d)-40(2/9 in 10th w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Libertia p. 44. 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, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around July 30, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on July 29, 2025.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

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

    1/9 germinated in this phase.

  4. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 1.5 years from start to step 4. Germination happens during step 4, in 70 days.

22% germination in 70 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Libertia p. 44Public domain
Show the original text
Libertia (Iridaceae). L. formosa germ. 70D(70% in 3-12 w)-40(5%), 70L{45% in 5-7 w), and 40- 70D(50% in 2nd w). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D(1/5 in 6th w)-40(1/5 in 12th w) and 40- 70D(1/9 on 2nd d)-40(2/9 in 10th w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Libertia p. 44. 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, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 23, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on February 22, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°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

    1/5 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 2 run on after germination.

about 12 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 42 days.

20% germination in 42 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Libertia p. 44Public domain
Show the original text
Libertia (Iridaceae). L. formosa germ. 70D(70% in 3-12 w)-40(5%), 70L{45% in 5-7 w), and 40- 70D(50% in 2nd w). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D(1/5 in 6th w)-40(1/5 in 12th w) and 40- 70D(1/9 on 2nd d)-40(2/9 in 10th w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Libertia p. 44. 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

Add to My Garden

View species page