Eriogonum (heracleoides)

Dave Skinner PMC Farm Manager USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Room 211A Hulbert Hall WSU Pullman, Washington 99164-6211 509-335-9689 509-335-2940 (fax) abbie@wsu.edu http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/wapmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Polygonaceae
Family Common Name:	buckwheat
Scientific Name:	Eriogonum heracleoides Nutt.
Common Name:	Wyeth buckwheat, parsnip flowered buckwheat
Species Code:	ERHE2
Ecotype:	Paradise Creek drainage near Pullman, Washington.
General Distribution:	Native to dry, open, often rocky places from British Columbia to California and east to Montana and Colorado. On the Palouse it is often a dominant part of the vegetation on lithosolic sites.
Known Invasiveness:	not invasive
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	10 cu. in.
Time To Grow:	4 Months
Target Specifications:	Tight root plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Fruit is an achene. Seed is collected in late July or early August when the inflorescence is dry and the seeds are light reddish brown in color. Harvested seed is stored in paper bags at room temperature until cleaned. We determined 145,721 seeds/lb or 321 seeds/gram for this ecotype (USDA, NRCS Pullman Plant Materials Center 2005).
Propagule Processing:	Small amounts are rubbed to free the seed, then cleaned with an air column separator. Larger amounts are threshed with a hammermill, then cleaned with air screen equipment. Clean seed is stored in controlled conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Fresh seed has a 30 to 40 days after-ripening requirement and should be sown in the fall (Stevens et al 1996). Seed will germinate at low rates without pretreatment, but 12 weeks of cold moist stratification is required for bestgermination rates. Germination is slow under cool temperatures (Meyer and Paulsen 2000). Seed stores up to 5 years under ambient temperatures and humidity (Stevens et al 1981). Some seed of this ecotype will germinate without pretreatment, but long cold moist stratification is necessary for maximum germination. Unpublished data from trials conducted at the Pullman Plant Materials Center revealed that 20% emergence occurred without stratification. 45 days of cold, moist stratification resulted in 45% emergence. 90 days of cold, moist stratification resulted in 72% emergence. Increasing stratification time to 120 days resulted in 80% emergence. Seed planted in containers outdoors reached 95% emergence. The increase is likely due to even longer stratification time. These trials also showed that some seed will germinate during lengthy stratification and stratified seed will emerge more rapidly than untreated seed.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	In late October or early November seed is sown in 10 cu. in. Ray Leach Super cell conetainers filled with Sunshine #4 and covered lightly. A thin layer of coarse grit is applied to the top of the planting soil to prevent seeds from floating during watering. Conetainers are watered deeply and placed outside. Conetainers are moved to the greenhouse in February. Alternately, seed can be moist stratified in a refrigerator at 35-40oF for 90-120 days before sowing in the greenhouse.
Establishment Phase:	Medium is kept moist until germination occurs. Germination usually begins in 4 days and is complete in 12 days.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4-12 days
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are watered deeply every third day and fertilized once per week with a complete, water soluble fertilizer containing micro-nutrients. Plants may require water every other day during the final part of the active growth period.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	3 months
Hardening Phase:	Plants are moved to the cold frame in mid April. They are watered every other day if the weather is cool, and every day during hot, dry spells.
Length of Hardening Phase:	2-3 weeks
Other Comments:	A few plants will flower the year following outplanting, but most require 2-3 years to produce seed. Plants continue to produce good seed crops in increase plantings for at least 4 years. The genus is usually insect pollinated and flowers are attractive to bees.
References:	Craighead, John J., Frank C. Craighead, and Ray J. Davis. 1963. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston, MA. 277 pp. Hitchcock, C. Leo, Arthur Cronquist, Marion Ownbey, and J.W. Thompson. 1969. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Volume 3, Ericaceae through Campanulaceae. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 510 pp. Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 730 pp. Kruckeberg, Arthur R. 1996. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. 2nd ed. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 282 pp. Larrison, Earl J., Grace W. Patrick, William H. Baker, and James A. Yaich. 1974. Washington Wildflowers. The Seattle Audubon Society. Seattle, WA. 376 pp. Lyons, C.P. 1956. Trees, Shrubs and Flowers to Know in Washington. J.M. Dent & Sons (Canada) Limited. Vancouver, BC. 211 pp. Lyons, C.P. 1997. Wildflowers of Washington.Lone Pine Publishing, Renton, WA. 192 pp. Meyer, Susan E., and Alisa Paulsen. 2000. Chilling Requirements for Seed Germination of 10 Utah Species of Perennial Wild Buckwheat (Eriogonum Michx. [Polygonaceae]). Native Plants Journal 1(1):18-24. Parish, Roberta, Ray Coupe, and Dennis Lloyd (eds.). 1996. Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, BC, Canada. 463 pp. Piper, C.V., and R.K. Beattie. 1914. The Flora of Southeastern Washington and Adjacent Idaho. Lancaster, PA. Press of the New Era Printing Company. 296 p. Rickett, Harold W. 1973. Wildflowers of the United States: The Central Mountains and Plains. Vol. 6. (3 parts). McGraw Hill, New York. St. John, Harold. 1963. Flora of Southeastern Washington and of Adjacent Idaho. 3rd edition. Outdoor Pictures. Escondido, CA. 583 pp. Stevens, Richard, Kent R. Jorgensen, and James N. Davis. 1981. Viability of Seed From Thirty-two Shrub and Forb Species Through Fifteen Years of Warehouse Storage. Great Basin Naturalist 41:274-277. Stevens, Richard, Kent R. Jorgensen, Stanford A. Young, Stephen B. Monsen. 1996. Forb and Shrub Seed Production Guide for Utah. Utah State Univ. Extension AG501. Online at http://extension.usu.edu/files/agpubs/f&sguide.pdf. Accessed 2/12/08. Taylor, Ronald J. 1992. Sagebrush Country. Mountain Press Publishing Co. Missoula, MT. 211 pp. USDA ARS National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://www.ars-grin.gov2/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?448068 (12 February 2008). USDA, NRCS, Pullman Plant Materials Center. 2005. Seed Weights of Some Palouse Native Species. Pullman Plant Materials Center, Pullman, Washington. Online at http://www.wsu.edu/~pmc_nrcs/Docs/Seed_Weights_Palouse_Native_Species.pdf USDA, NRCS. 2008. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 12 February 2008). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Citation:

Skinner, David M,. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Eriogonum heracleoides Nutt. plants 10 cu. in.; USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Pullman, Washington. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/23). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.