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Sisyrinchium campestre

Prairie Blue-eyed Grass

Family IridaceaeGenus Sisyrinchium

Small pale blue six-petalled flowers with yellow centers among dry grass
FloweraarongunnarCC BY 4.0
A line drawing of flat six-pointed flowers and green buds on flattened stems, beside a fan of narrow grass-like leaves and an enlarged flower.
IllustrationUnknownPublic domain

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
White, pale blueFlora of North America
Native range
Canada, 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; Flora of North America — Flora of North America Editorial Committee.

Worth knowing

  • Prairie blue-eyed grass, of the central United States, is one of the more drought-tolerant species in its genus. It flowers for about three weeks in late spring and early summer. Wikipedia: Sisyrinchium campestre

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Sow around December 2026 — a date the source gives, not one counted back from a May 3 last frost.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Sown outdoors in December.

about 6 months from start to sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

26% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Sisyrinchium p. 215Public domain
Show the original text
Sisyrinchium (lridaceae). Light and outdoor conditions should be tried. S. campestre placed outdoors in June (fresh seeds) germ. 10% in April and 25% the next April (22 m later). Seeds DS 6 m at 70 and placed outdoors in December germ. 26% in the April 16 m later. Other treatments including light and GA-3 gave germinations less than 0.5%.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Sisyrinchium p. 215. 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.

Sow around June 2027 — a date the source gives, not one counted back from a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on June 2026.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Sown outdoors in June; up in April.

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

10% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Sisyrinchium p. 215Public domain
Show the original text
Sisyrinchium (lridaceae). Light and outdoor conditions should be tried. S. campestre placed outdoors in June (fresh seeds) germ. 10% in April and 25% the next April (22 m later). Seeds DS 6 m at 70 and placed outdoors in December germ. 26% in the April 16 m later. Other treatments including light and GA-3 gave germinations less than 0.5%.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Sisyrinchium p. 215. 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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