Portulacaceae (Lewisia)

Protocol Information for:

Label_title:
Lewisia (rediviva)

Family Names:

Family Scientific Name:
Portulacaceae

Family Common Name:
Bitterroot family

Scientific Names:

Genus:
Lewisia

Species:
rediviva

Scientific Classification:

Scientific SubSpecies:

Species Authority:
Pursh

Scientific SubAuthority:

Authors:

Common Synonym:

Genus:

Species:

Synonym Classification:

Synonym SubSpecies:

Species Authority:

Synonym SubAuthority:

Other Information:

Common Name:
Bitterroot

Species Code:
LEWRED

Ecotype:
Glacier National Park, 1585m elev., Montana

General Distribution:
L. rediviva occurs in gravelly to dry soils, from sagebrush plains to lower elevations in the mountains. It ranges from southern B.C. to southeast Alberta, east of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon south to California; east to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona.

Known Invasiveness:

Propagation Goal:
plants

Propagation Method:
seed

Product Type:
Container (plug)

Stock Type:
160 ml conetainers

Grow Time:
2 Years

Target Specifications:
Stock Type: Container seedling
Height: 6 true leaves, 5 cm
Caliper: n/a
Root System: Developed taproot in conetainer.

Propagation Collection:
Seeds are collected in mid summer when the corolla turns papery and the disseminule breaks away from the stem. Development and ripening of the seeds occurs over a 2 to 3 week period. Seeds are shiny black at maturity.

Propagation Processing/Propagule Characteristics:
Seed storage is at least 5 years undercool, dry conditions.
Seed dormancy is classified as physiological dormancy.
Seeds/Kg: unknown
% Purity: 100%
% Germination: 50%

Pre-Planting Propagule Treatments:
Seeds are treated with a 60 to 90 day cold, moist stratification. Seeds are imbibed in water, rolled in moistened paper towels inserted into an opened zip-lock bag that is placed in the refrigerator at 1 to 3 C.
Germination occurs in early spring at temperatures slightly above freezing to 10 C.

Growing Area Preparation / Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:
Outdoor nursery growing facility.
Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seeds are covered with medium.
Growing medium used is 6:1:1 milled spaghnum peat, perlite, and vermiculite 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.
Conetainers are filled and sown in late fall and irrigated thoroughly prior to winter stratification.
Seedlings germinate in spring under fluctuating outdoor temperatures and are grown under full sun exposure. 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:
Seedlings emerge 14 days after sowing under cool fluctuating temperatures. True leaves appeared 3 weeks after germination. Seedlings go dormant by mid-summer in late June and early July. First year root diameter at time of dormancy was 0.2 cm diameter. Second year root diameter was 0.5 cm. Seedlings are susceptible to overwatering and should be kept dry during dormant phase.

Length of Establishment Phase:
6 weeks

Active Growth Phase:
Seedlings grow during cool temperatures of early spring to early summer. Seedlings are fertlized with 20-10-20NPK liquid fertlizer during active growth. Seedlings must dry down beteween irrigations and during the dormant phase in mid to late summer.
During late September, leaves re-emerge and plants receive regular irrigation and fertlization for 6 to 8 weeks until snowfall.
Flowering maturity is not expected until year 3 or 4.

Length of Active Growth Phase:
6 weeks(summer)4 weeks (fall)

Hardening Phase:
During fall growth, seedlings are fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK at 200 ppm in the fall. Containers are flushed with water, and irrigation frequency

Length of Hardening Phase:
8 weeks

Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:
Total Time To Harvest: 2 to 3 years
Harvest Date: July or August
Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam and snow cover.

Length of Storage:
5 months

Guidelines for Outplanting / Performance on Typical Sites:

Other Comments:
Good medium aeration is important for growth.
Active growth of seedlings is limited to early spring to early summer and a brief 4 week period in late fall.

References:
Bitterroot, J. DeSanto, Lere Press, 1993.

Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press, 7th printing, 1973.

Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition, Deno, Norman, publ. 1993.

Citation:
Luna, Tara; DeSanto, Jerry; Evans, Jeff; Wick, Dale. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Lewisia rediviva Pursh plants 160 ml conetainers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/04/23). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.

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