Antennaria (howellii)

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:	ASTERACEAE
Family Common Name:	Sunflower Family
Scientific Name:	Antennaria howellii (Fern.) Bayer.
Common Synonym:	Antennaria neglecta Greene
Common Name:	Field pussytoes
Species Code:	ANTHOW
Ecotype:	Lodgepole pine forest, Camas, 1000 m elvation, Glacier National Park
General Distribution:	A. howellii is a common North American species, occurring in prairies, open forests, and open slopes; from the Yukon to Newfoundland and south to California, Wyoming, and South Dakota.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	172 ml container
Time To Grow:	4 Months
Target Specifications:	Height: 3 cm, 10 to 15 true leaves<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: Firm plug in 172 ml (10 cubic inch) container
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are collected when achenes are easily separated from receptacle. Seeds are dark grey at maturity. Seeds are collected in paper bags and kept in a well ventilated drying shed prior to cleaning.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds are cleaned with a hammermill and run over with an office clipper. Seed longevity isup to 5 years in sealed containers at 1C. Seed dormancy is classified as non dormant. Seeds/Kg: 14,520,000/ kg % Purity: 100% % Germination:80 to 90%
Pre-Planting Treatments:	None.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Greenhouse or outdoor nursery growing facility. Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seeds are surface sown, needs light for germination. Growing medium used is 6:1:1 milled sphagnum 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 in the outdoor nursery or just prior to sowing in the greenhouse. Conetainers are irrigated thoroughly after sowing.
Establishment Phase:	Antennaria seedlings appear to germinate more slowly than many other forb species. Widely fluctuating temperatures may increase germination percentages by growing directly in the outdoor nursery. Seedlings are thinned after the appearance of true leaves.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Once seedlings are established, plants develop rapid shoot and root growth 2 to 4 weeks following germination. Plants are fertilized with 20-20-20 liquid NPK fertilizer at 100 ppm bi-weekly during the growing season. Plants are mat-forming and quickly fill containers during the rapid growth stage. Plants can be produced in 8 weeks following germination.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	8 weeks
Hardening Phase:	Plants are fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK in early fall; pots are leached with water, irrigation is gradually reduced through September and October.
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 cover and snow.
Length of Storage:	5 months
Other Comments:	Seeds require light for germination. If direct seeding onto restoration sites, seeds must be rolled or pressed into prepared seed beds. Raking or burying seeds will result in poor establishment.
References:	Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press, 7th printing, 1990. Seed Germination Theory and Practice, Second Edition, Deno, Norman, published 1993. Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species, National Park Service, Hassell, Wendel, April 1996. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, Baskin and Baskin, Academic Press, 1998.

Citation:

Luna, Tara; Evans, Jeff; Wick, Dale; Hosokawa, Joy. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Antennaria howellii (Fern.) Bayer. plants 172 ml container; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/03). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.