Heuchera (cylindrica)

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

---

Family Scientific Name:	Saxifragaceae
Family Common Name:	Saxifrage
Scientific Name:	Heuchera cylindrica Dougl. ex Hook.
Common Name:	Lava or Round-leaf Alumroot
Species Code:	HECY2
Ecotype:	Paradise Creek drainage near Pullman, WA.
General Distribution:	Western North America east to Montana and Wyoming and south to California where mean annual precipitation ranges from 10-35 inches. It prefers dry, open grassland or open Ponderosa pine forests and is often found on rocky sites and talus slopes, but may also be found in moist shade in more dense coniferous forests.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Time To Grow:	2 Years
Target Specifications:	Tight root plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are collected when the capsules begin to split in late July and early August. Seed can be shaken from the capsules or the entire inflorescence stalk cut from the plant. Seed is brown in color and very small. Seed is stored in paper bags or envelopes at room temperature until cleaned. We determined 7,560,000 seeds/lb for this ecotype.
Propagule Processing:	Seed shaken from capsules needs no cleaning. Capsules can be crushed to release seed. Seed is cleaned with an air column separator. Larger amounts are cleaned with air screen equipment. About 90% of the seed will shatter into the bottom of the sacks. Running the capsules through a hammermill only recovers about 10% more seed. Clean seed is stored in controlled conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Light and extended cold, moist stratification is needed. Cool spring temperatures may also be necessary. In trials at the PMC, surface sown seed subjected to at least 90 days of cool, moist stratification and cool, fluctuating spring temperatures germinated at 83%. Seed subjected to the same conditions but covered germinated at 68%. Seed planted directly in the greenhouse with and without light, and seed subjected to 45 days cool, moist stratification with and without light germinated at rates of 10% or less. Light treatments always germinated at higher rates than the same treatment without light.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	In late November or early December seed is sown in 10 cu. in. Ray Leach Super cell conetainers filled with Sunshine #4. A thin layer of pea gravel is applied to prevent planting medium from floating. If the planting soil is allowed to float, it will cover the seed and exclude light. Seeds are surface sown over the pea gravel. Conetainers are watered deeply and placed outside.
Establishment Phase:	Containers remain outside. They are watered only during dry spells. Germination will begin as daytime temperatures warm in March, and may occur over 2-4 weeks.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are moved to the lath house in June. They are watered every other day if the weather is cool, and every day during hot, dry spells. They are fertilized once per week with a water soluble complete fertilizer containing micro-nutrients. Fertilizer and water are reduced as fall approaches.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	1 growing season
Hardening Phase:	Since the plants are grown outside, additional hardening is not needed.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Plants are stored in the lath house over winter with no protection except snow cover. Regrowth will begin in early March as soon as temperatures begin to warm. Leaves will usually remain green throughout the winter.
Other Comments:	No insect or disease problems have beennoted. Plants continue to produce good seed crops in increase plantings for at least 5 years. Plants can probably be propagated by division, although we have not attempted it. This method should only be used for plants growing in cultivation. Plants should not be dug up from stands in the wild.
References:	Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. Kruckeberg, Arthur R. 1996. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. 2nd ed. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. Link, Ellen. 1993. Native Plant Propagation Techniques for National Parks Interim Guide. USDA SCS Rose Lake Plant Materials Center and USDI National Park Service. East Lansing, Michigan. Parish, Roberta, Ray Coupe, and Dennis Lloyd (eds.). 1996. Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, BC, Canada. St. John, Harold. 1963. Flora of Southeastern Washington and of Adjacent Idaho. 3rd edition. Outdoor Pictures. Escondido, CA. USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. Young and Young. 1986. Collecting, Processing and Germinating Seeds of Wildland Plants. Timber Press. Portland, OR.

Citation:

Skinner, David M,. 2004. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Heuchera cylindrica Dougl. ex Hook. plants 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.