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Viscaria alpina

Alpine Campion · Alpine Catchfly · Alpine Pink

Family CaryophyllaceaeGenus Viscaria

A tight head of magenta-pink flowers on a single stem, rising from a rosette of narrow leaves on stony ground.
FlowerThis Photo was taken by FredrikLähnn All my photos are public domain, but if you use them outside Wikimedia I will appreciate if you credit it Fredrik Lähnn and send me an email or contact me at my userpage.Public domain

About the plant

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

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
PinkWikipedia
Native range
Austria, East European Russia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greenland 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; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Red alpine catchfly can grow in soils heavy with copper, so it has been used as an indicator of copper in geobotanical prospecting. Wikipedia: Silene suecica

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 28, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 8 days to germinate.

55% germination in 2–8 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Lychnis p. 174Public domain
Show the original text
Lychnis (Caryophyllaceae). L. alpina germ. 70(55% in 2-8 d) and 40-70(55% in 2-8 d) using fresh seed or seed DS 6 m at 70 or 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Lychnis p. 174. 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 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

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 8 days.

55% germination in 2–8 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Lychnis p. 174Public domain
Show the original text
Lychnis (Caryophyllaceae). L. alpina germ. 70(55% in 2-8 d) and 40-70(55% in 2-8 d) using fresh seed or seed DS 6 m at 70 or 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Lychnis p. 174. 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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