Eritrichium (nanum)

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:	Boraginaceae
Family Common Name:	Borage family
Scientific Name:	Eritrichium nanum (Vill.) Schrad. ex Gaudin
Common Name:	Pale alpine forget-me-not
Species Code:	ERINAN
Ecotype:	Open alpine scree slope, southwestern MT.
General Distribution:	E. nanum occurs in rocky places at high elevations; irregularly circumboreal, south to the southern Rocky Mountains, in our range from Montana to northeastern Oregon and in the north Cascades, Washington.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	160 ml conetainers
Time To Grow:	9 Months
Target Specifications:	Height: 6 to 7 true leaves, 3 cm<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: firm plug in 160 ml conetainer.
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are collected in late August. Hand collect mature seed capsules when they begin to split and turn tan in color. Seeds are black at maturity.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds are hand cleaned by screening. Seed longevity is unknown. Seed dormancy type is unknown, but many genera in this family are reported to be nondormant. Seeds/Kg: unknown % Purity: 100% % Germination: 80 to 90%
Pre-Planting Treatments:	6month outdoor cold, moist stratification.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Outdoor nursery growing facility. Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seed is lightly covered with medium. Growing medium used is 6:1:1 milled spaghnum 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 .8 gram of Osmocote and 0.15 gram of Micromax per 160 ml conetainer. Conetainers are filled and sown in late fall and irrigated thoroughly prior to winter stratification.
Establishment Phase:	Medium is kept slightly moist during germination. Germination is uniform under fluctuating temperatures during spring months. Seedlings must dry down between irrigations.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Root development occurs rapidly following germination. 10 to 12 tightly clustered true leaves in a tight rosette were formed 7 weeks after germination. No additonal fertilizer was applied to seedlings.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	8 weeks
Hardening Phase:	Irrigation is gradually reduced in September and October. Plants were fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK at 200 ppm once before winterization. Plants are leached with clear water prior to winterization.
Length of Hardening Phase:	4 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Total Time To Harvest: 9 months Harvest Date: July Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam cover and snow.
Length of Storage:	5 months
Other Comments:	This species produces a well-branched taproot and is strongly caespitose. A prolonged stratification and fluctuating temperatures appear necessary for germinating this high elevation species.
References:	Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, 7th edition, University of Washington Press, 1973. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species, Hassell, Wendel, U.S.D.I. and U.S.D.A., April 1996. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, Baskin and Baskin, Academic Press, 1998. Seed Germination Theory and Practice, Deno, Norman, Penn State University, 1993. Glacier National Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished.

Citation:

Luna, Tara; DeSanto, Jerry; Wick, Dale. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Eritrichium nanum (Vill.) Schrad. ex Gaudin plants 160 ml conetainers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/20). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.