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Primula tetrandra

Alpine Shootingstar

Family PrimulaceaeGenus Primula

Also published as Dodecatheon alpinum. You are in the right place.

A lilac flower with petals swept fully back from a white and yellow band and a dark beaked center
FlowertomhiltonCC BY 2.0

About the plant

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

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
Bright pink, lavenderWikipedia
Native range
Native to the 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; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors.

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 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 14 days to germinate.

90% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Dodecatheon p. 134Public domain
Show the original text
Dodecatheon (Primulaceae). D. alpinum germ. 70D GA-3(80% in 1-3 w), 70L(90% in 2nd w), 70D(7%), and 40-70D(78% in 4-8 d). This is an interesting combination of germ. patterns.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Dodecatheon p. 134. 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 Low Rated by us, not by the source.

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

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

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

80% germination in 7–21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Dodecatheon p. 134Public domain
Show the original text
Dodecatheon (Primulaceae). D. alpinum germ. 70D GA-3(80% in 1-3 w), 70L(90% in 2nd w), 70D(7%), and 40-70D(78% in 4-8 d). This is an interesting combination of germ. patterns.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Dodecatheon p. 134. 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 28, 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 8 days.

78% germination in 4–8 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Dodecatheon p. 134Public domain
Show the original text
Dodecatheon (Primulaceae). D. alpinum germ. 70D GA-3(80% in 1-3 w), 70L(90% in 2nd w), 70D(7%), and 40-70D(78% in 4-8 d). This is an interesting combination of germ. patterns.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Dodecatheon p. 134. 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 March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

7% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Dodecatheon p. 134Public domain
Show the original text
Dodecatheon (Primulaceae). D. alpinum germ. 70D GA-3(80% in 1-3 w), 70L(90% in 2nd w), 70D(7%), and 40-70D(78% in 4-8 d). This is an interesting combination of germ. patterns.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Dodecatheon p. 134. 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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