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Scrophularia nodosa

Common Figwort · Knotted Figwort · Figwort · Woodland Figwort

Family ScrophulariaceaeGenus Scrophularia

Tiny pitcher-shaped flowers, green below and glossy maroon at the lip, scattered on fine branching stalks.
FlowerKurt Stüber [1]CC 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
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
Green, purpleWikipedia
Native range
Albania, Altay, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium and elsewhereGBIF 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; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Under the doctrine of signatures, common figwort was thought to cure the throat disease scrofula, because its flowers are shaped like a throat. Wikipedia: Scrophularia nodosa

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around April 1, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 4 days to germinate.

100% germination in 4 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Scrophularia p. 76Public domain
Show the original text
Scrophularia (Scrophulariaceae). S. nodosa germ. 70L(100% on 4th d), 70 GA-3(100% in 4-9 d), and 70D(19% in 1-3 w). When the seeds in 70D were shifted to 70L after 3 m, the remaining 81% germ. in 4-6 d. A prior 3 m at 40 was fatal. After 1 y DS the light requirement disappeared, and the seeds germ. 92% in 4-8 d in either 70D or 70L. After 2 y DS the seeds germ. 70D(22% in 4-10 d) indicating extensive dying.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Scrophularia p. 76. 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, 1996

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 27, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 9 days to germinate.

100% germination in 4–9 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Scrophularia p. 76Public domain
Show the original text
Scrophularia (Scrophulariaceae). S. nodosa germ. 70L(100% on 4th d), 70 GA-3(100% in 4-9 d), and 70D(19% in 1-3 w). When the seeds in 70D were shifted to 70L after 3 m, the remaining 81% germ. in 4-6 d. A prior 3 m at 40 was fatal. After 1 y DS the light requirement disappeared, and the seeds germ. 92% in 4-8 d in either 70D or 70L. After 2 y DS the seeds germ. 70D(22% in 4-10 d) indicating extensive dying.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Scrophularia p. 76. 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, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 27, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on March 26, 2025.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 730 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 2 years from start to sowing. Then 10 days to germinate.

22% germination in 4–10 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Scrophularia p. 76Public domain
Show the original text
Scrophularia (Scrophulariaceae). S. nodosa germ. 70L(100% on 4th d), 70 GA-3(100% in 4-9 d), and 70D(19% in 1-3 w). When the seeds in 70D were shifted to 70L after 3 m, the remaining 81% germ. in 4-6 d. A prior 3 m at 40 was fatal. After 1 y DS the light requirement disappeared, and the seeds germ. 92% in 4-8 d in either 70D or 70L. After 2 y DS the seeds germ. 70D(22% in 4-10 d) indicating extensive dying.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Scrophularia p. 76. 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, 1996

Difficulty 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. Then 21 days to germinate.

19% germination in 7–21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Scrophularia p. 76Public domain
Show the original text
Scrophularia (Scrophulariaceae). S. nodosa germ. 70L(100% on 4th d), 70 GA-3(100% in 4-9 d), and 70D(19% in 1-3 w). When the seeds in 70D were shifted to 70L after 3 m, the remaining 81% germ. in 4-6 d. A prior 3 m at 40 was fatal. After 1 y DS the light requirement disappeared, and the seeds germ. 92% in 4-8 d in either 70D or 70L. After 2 y DS the seeds germ. 70D(22% in 4-10 d) indicating extensive dying.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Scrophularia p. 76. 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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