Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Trichophorum alpinum

Alpine Bulrush · Cotton Deergrass · Hudson Bay Clubrush

Family CyperaceaeGenus Trichophorum

A dense tuft of fine green stems, each tipped with a small head of white cottony bristles, on wet gritty ground.
The whole plantRömertCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

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

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, GraminoidPLANTS Database
Native range
Alaska, Alberta, Altay, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus 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; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around May 7, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on May 6, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 240 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 11 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 4 days.

100% germination in 2–4 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Trichophorum p. 82Public domain
Show the original text
Trichophorum (Cyperaceae). T. alpinum DS 8 m germ. 70L(95% in 2nd w), none in 70D or 70 GA-3, 40-70L(100% in 2-4 d), and 40-70D(9% in 1-11 d). Seeds DS 3 y germ. the same.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Trichophorum p. 82. 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 July 26, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on July 25, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 240 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 8 months from start to sowing. Then 14 days to germinate.

95% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Trichophorum p. 82Public domain
Show the original text
Trichophorum (Cyperaceae). T. alpinum DS 8 m germ. 70L(95% in 2nd w), none in 70D or 70 GA-3, 40-70L(100% in 2-4 d), and 40-70D(9% in 1-11 d). Seeds DS 3 y germ. the same.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Trichophorum p. 82. 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 Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around April 30, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on April 29, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 240 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 11 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 11 days.

9% germination in 1–11 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Trichophorum p. 82Public domain
Show the original text
Trichophorum (Cyperaceae). T. alpinum DS 8 m germ. 70L(95% in 2nd w), none in 70D or 70 GA-3, 40-70L(100% in 2-4 d), and 40-70D(9% in 1-11 d). Seeds DS 3 y germ. the same.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Trichophorum p. 82. 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

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 240 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 8 months from start to sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Trichophorum p. 82Public domain
Show the original text
Trichophorum (Cyperaceae). T. alpinum DS 8 m germ. 70L(95% in 2nd w), none in 70D or 70 GA-3, 40-70L(100% in 2-4 d), and 40-70D(9% in 1-11 d). Seeds DS 3 y germ. the same.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Trichophorum p. 82. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; 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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