Penstemon (lyallii)

Tara Luna USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana 59936 (406) 888-7835 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/azpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Scrophulariaceae
Family Common Name:	Figwort family
Scientific Name:	Penstemon lyallii Gray
Common Name:	Lyall's penstemon
Species Code:	PENLYA
Ecotype:	Cliff faces. 1985m elev. near Big Drift,
General Distribution:	P. lyallii occurs from the foothills to subalpine zone in dry rocky areas. It ranges from southeastern B.C. and southwestern Alberta to western Montana and northern Idaho.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	172 ml conetainers
Time To Grow:	4 Months
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container seedling<br> Height: 7 cm<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: Firm plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are collected in late August when capsules turn brown and begin to dehisce. Seeds are brown at maturity and are collected in paper bags and kept in a well ventilated drying shed prior to cleaning.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds are hand cleaned using screens. Seed longevity is at least 5 years at 3 to 5C in sealed containers. Seed dormancy is classified as physiological dormancy. Seeds/Kg: 4,600,000/kg % Purity: 100% % Germiantion: 50%
Pre-Planting Treatments:	30 to 90 day cold, moist stratification. Seeds are placed in fine mesh bags and buried in moist peat moss in ventilated containers under refrigeration at 1 to 3C.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Greenhouse and Outdoor Nursery growing facility. Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seeds are lightly covered with medium and irrigated thoroughly. Growing medium used is 70% 6:1:1 milled sphagnum peat, perlite, and vermiculite and 30% coarse sand with Osmocote controlled release fertilizer (13N:13P2O5:13K2O; 8 to 9 month release rate at 21C) and Micromax fertilizer (12%S, 0.1%B, 0.5%Cu, 12%Fe, 2.5%Mn, 0.05%Mo, 1%Zn) at the rate of 1 gram of Osmocote and 0.20 gram of Micromax per 172 ml conetainer. Greenhouse temperatures are maintained at 21 to 25C during the day and 16 to 18C at night. Seedlings are hand watered and remain in greenhouse until mid May. Seedlings are then moved to outdoor nursery for the remainder of the growing season. Seedlings are irrigated with Rainbird automatic irrigation system in early morning until containers are thoroughly leached. Average growing season of nursery is from late April after snowmelt until October 15th.
Establishment Phase:	Germination was very uniform. True leaves appeared 2 weeks after germination. Once established and thinned after emergence, the seedlings produce rapid shoot and root development.
Length of Establishment Phase:	3 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are fertilized with 20-20-20 liquid NPK at 100 ppm during the active growth phase. Plants were root tight 9 weeks following germination. Plants did not produce flowers the first year.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	8 weeks
Hardening Phase:	Plants are fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK at 200 ppm in fall, pots are flushed with water, and irrigation frequency is gradually reduced in September and October. One final irrigation is applied before covering for the winter.
Length of Hardening Phase:	4 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Total Time To Harvest: 4 months Harvest Date: July Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam and snow cover.
Length of Storage:	5 months
Other Comments:	P. lyallii is a frequent colonizer of cliffs, and gravelly soils, and occasionally talus. Good medium drainage is essential during cultivation.
References:	Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press, 7th printing, 1990. Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished. Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition, Deno, Norman, publ. 1993. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species, Hassell, Wendel, National Park Service and National Resources Conservation Service, April 1996.

Citation:

Luna, Tara; Evans, Jeff; Wick, Dale. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Penstemon lyallii Gray plants 172 ml conetainers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/04/24). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.