Symphyotrichum (jessicae)

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:	Asteraceae
Family Common Name:	Sunflower
Scientific Name:	Symphyotrichum jessicae (Piper) Nesom
Common Synonym:	Aster jessicae Piper
Common Name:	Jessica's aster
Species Code:	SYJE
Ecotype:	Palouse River
General Distribution:	Open habitats usually on benchs above streams in extreme eastern Washington and northern Idaho
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Time To Grow:	4 Months
Target Specifications:	Tight root plug in container
Propagule Collection:	Fruit is an achene. Seed ripens in September and October. It is collected when the pappus begins to expand. Seed is brown in color and wind disseminated, so must be collected before it blows away. Seed maturity is indeterminant. Seed can be collected using a vacuum cleaner. This removes only mature seed, leaving immature seed to ripen, and reduces the amount of trash which subsequently must be cleaned from the seed.Harvested seed is stored in paper bags at room temperature until cleaned. We determined 542,584 seeds/lb for this ecotype.
Propagule Processing:	Seed is cleaned by rubbing over a 10 mesh screen to remove the pappus, then using an air column separator. Larger amounts are run thru a hammermill, then cleaned with an air screen machine. Sterile rice hulls can be added to the hammermill to facilitate removal of the pappus. The rice hulls are then removed in the cleaning process. Clean seed is stored in controlled conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Germination without pretreatment is high. Trials at the PMC comparing untreated seed with cold, moist stratified seed show no benefit from stratification.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	In January seed is sown in the greenhouse in 10 cu. in. Ray Leach Super cell conetainers filled with Sunshine #4 and covered lightly. Head space of ¬ to « inch is maintained in conetainers to allow deep watering. A thin layer of pea gravel is applied to prevent seeds from floating. Conetainers are watered deeply.
Establishment Phase:	Conetainers are kept moist until germination occurs. Seeds usually start germinating in 8-10 days and germination is complete in 18 days.
Length of Establishment Phase:	3 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are watered deeply every other day and fertilized once a week with a water soluble, complete fertilizer containing micronutrients.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	3 months
Hardening Phase:	Plants are moved to the cold frame in late March or early April, depending on weather.
Length of Hardening Phase:	2-4 weeks
Other Comments:	No insect or disease problems have been noted. Plants are strongly rhizomatous. In seed increase plantings, new plants from rhizomes may appear 6-12 feet from the original planting. Plants can be propagated by division or from sections of the rhizome. This method should only be used for plants growing in cultivation. Jessica's aster is a rare species which should not be collected, either by seed or vegetative material, from plants growing in the wild.
References:	Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Citation:

Skinner, David M,. 2005. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Symphyotrichum jessicae (Piper) Nesom plants USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Pullman, Washington. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/05/05). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.