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Mertensia bakeri

Baker's Bluebells

Family BoraginaceaeGenus Mertensia

Two tubular flowers hanging side by side, one flared open to show yellow anthers on a white throat, the other still a deep blue tube.
FlowerPatrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NMCC0

About the plant

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

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
BlueRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
ColoradoGBIF 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.

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

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

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 70 days to germinate.

33% germination in 70 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Mertensia p. 178Public domain
Show the original text
Mertensia (Boraginaceae). In view of the results with M. bakeri germ. 40-70(2/6 in the 10th w) and none at 70.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Mertensia p. 178. 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 October 28, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 27, 2026.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  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 70 days.

33% germination in 70 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Mertensia p. 178Public domain
Show the original text
Mertensia (Boraginaceae). In view of the results with M. bakeri germ. 40-70(2/6 in the 10th w) and none at 70.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Mertensia p. 178. 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

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Mertensia p. 178Public domain
Show the original text
Mertensia (Boraginaceae). In view of the results with M. bakeri germ. 40-70(2/6 in the 10th w) and none at 70.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Mertensia p. 178. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; 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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