Eurybia (merita)

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:	Eurybia merita (A. Nels.) Nesom (A. Nels.) Raup.
Common Synonym:	Aster sibiricus (L.) A. Nels. meritus
Common Name:	Arctic Aster
Species Code:	EURMER
Ecotype:	Subalpine scree slopes, Logan Pass.
General Distribution:	E. merita is a circumboreal species, occurring in subalpine and alpine habitats. It grows in sparsely vegetated soils of meadows, exposed ridges and slopes. In the United States, it occurs south to Oregon and Wyoming.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	800 ml containers
Time To Grow:	9 Months
Target Specifications:	Height: 6 to 10 true leaves, 3 cm<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: Firm plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are hand collected in late August and early September when achenes separate easily from the receptacle. Seeds are grey at maturity. Seeds are collected in paper bags and stored in drying shed prior to cleaning.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds are cleaned by NRCS, using a hammermill and office clipper. Seed longevity is 3 to 5 years at 3 to 5 C in sealed containers. Seed dormancy is classified as non dormant. Seeds/Kg: 2,420,000/kg % Purity: 100% %Germination: 50%
Pre-Planting Treatments:	5 month cold, moist stratification. Seeds can be sown without stratification.
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 70% milled sphagnum peat,perlite, and vermiculite and 30% 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 2 grams of Osmocote and 1 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.
Establishment Phase:	Seed germinates uniformly in 10 to 15 days at 22C. Germination to true leaf stage is 7 to 15 days. Seedlings are thinned at this stage.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	There is rapid root and shoot development during the growing season. Plants are fertilized with 20-20-20 liquid NPK fertilizer at 100 ppm bi-weekly until fall.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	8 weeks
Hardening Phase:	Plants are fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK fertilizer at 200 ppm in early fall; pots are flushed with water, irrigation is gradually reduced through September and October.
Length of Hardening Phase:	4 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Total Time To Harvest: 9 months using a prolonged stratification. Shorter production time is possible using a shorter stratification duration. Harvest Date: August Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam and snow.
Length of Storage:	5 months
Other Comments:	E. merita is a pioneer species that occupies disturbed areas at high elevations. It is very tolerant of limited moisture conditions and sharply drained soils and gravel. It is an excellent restoration species for these site conditions along roadsides and at high elevations. It has a mat-forming habit and will spread vegetatively after establishment.
References:	Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press, 7th printing, 1990. Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition, Deno, Norman, publ.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. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Eurybia merita (A. Nels.) Nesom plants 800 ml containers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/04/19). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.