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Mertensia cana

Canescent Bluebells

Family BoraginaceaeGenus Mertensia

A drooping cluster of tubular sky-blue flowers with pink buds above broad, smooth blue-green leaves
FlowerPictured: Mertensia ciliata, a relativeKaren OffereinsCC BY 4.0

About the plant

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

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
Pale blue, pinkRead 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 two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.

100% germination in 21 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. cana germ. 70L(3/3 in 3rd w), 70D(1/4)-40-70, and 40-70(none).
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 High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 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

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 1; time not stated, 21 days assumed.

25% germination.

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. cana germ. 70L(3/3 in 3rd w), 70D(1/4)-40-70, and 40-70(none).
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.

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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