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Toxicoscordion fremontii

Fremont's Death Camas

Family MelanthiaceaeGenus Toxicoscordion

Also published as Zigadenus fremontii. You are in the right place.

A dense green bud cluster of unopened cream flowers, wrapped in narrow pointed bracts, on a thick stem among strap leaves.
FlowerNo machine-readable author provided. Folini assumed (based on copyright claims).CC BY 2.5

About the plant

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

Safety

Toxicity
Poisonous to all. All, bulbs, leaves, flowers, pollen. Zygacine. Stated for Zigadenus spp.Plants Poisonous to Livestock

The plant

Habit
bulbous geophytePlants of the World Online
Native range
California, Mexico Northwest, OregonGBIF 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; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility; Plants Poisonous to Livestock — Cornell University Department of Animal Science.

Worth knowing

  • Frémont's deathcamas is named after John C. Frémont. Like other deathcamases it grows from a roughly spherical bulb, in this species 20 to 35 mm across. Wikipedia: Toxicoscordion fremontii

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

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

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

    92%, over 6-10 weeks -- it germinates in the cold.

Germination happens during step 1, in 70 days.

92% germination in 42–70 days.

92% sown straight into the cold. The best of three by a distance.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, ZigadenusPublic domain
Show the original text
Zigadenus (Liliaceae). Z. fremonti germ. 40(92% in 6-10 w), 70-40(50% in 3-5 w), and 12% in outdoor treatment. The species may have not been sufficiently hardy and some were killed by cold in outdoor treatment. .
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Zigadenus. 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 December 1, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    Deno gives no length for this period; three months is his standard cycle.

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

    50%, over 3-5 weeks -- it germinates in the cold.

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 35 days.

50% germination in 21–35 days.

A warm period first costs it forty points. Sow it cold.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, ZigadenusPublic domain
Show the original text
Zigadenus (Liliaceae). Z. fremonti germ. 40(92% in 6-10 w), 70-40(50% in 3-5 w), and 12% in outdoor treatment. The species may have not been sufficiently hardy and some were killed by cold in outdoor treatment. .
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Zigadenus. 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 High Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

No stated waiting before sowing.

12% germination.

12% outdoors. Deno thinks the species was not hardy enough and that the cold killed some of the seed.

This source doesn't state how long step 1 lasts.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, ZigadenusPublic domain
Show the original text
Zigadenus (Liliaceae). Z. fremonti germ. 40(92% in 6-10 w), 70-40(50% in 3-5 w), and 12% in outdoor treatment. The species may have not been sufficiently hardy and some were killed by cold in outdoor treatment. .
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Zigadenus. 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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