Kalmia (microphylla)
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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: | Ericaceae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Heath Family | ||
| Scientific Name: | Kalmia microphylla (Hook) Heller | ||
| Common Synonym: | Kalmia microphylla (Hook) Heller occidentalis | ||
| Common Name: | Alpine laurel | ||
| Species Code: | KALMIC | ||
| Ecotype: | Subalpine streambank, Sperry Chalet, 2035m elev. | ||
| General Distribution: | K. microphylla occurs from southern Alaska through the Cascades to California, east to the Rockies from Alberta to Colorado in high elevation bogs and streambanks. | ||
| Propagation Goal: | plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | vegetative | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Stock Type: | 800 ml containers | ||
| Time To Grow: | 2 Years | ||
| Target Specifications: | Stock Type: Container cutting<br> Height: 7 cm<br> Caliper: 5 mm<br> Root System: firm plug in 800 ml (4.5 inch) pot. | ||
| Propagule Collection: | Cuttings were collected in early September. Cuttings were selected from stems that were buried by duff or accumulated organic matter. The cuttings were 6 centimeters in length, branched, with a portion of older wood buried beneath duff surface at the base. | ||
| Propagule Processing: | Cuttings are kept moist and under refrigeration prior to pre treatment. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: | The cuttings were 6 centimeters in length, branched, with a portion of older wood at the base. A 4000 ppm liquid IBA treatment was used. Bottom heat of 22C greatly enhanced rooting in the mist bed. A high humidity chamber rather than mist is advisable since leaves are semi-evergreen. A peat/perlite rooting media is preferred. | ||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Fall cuttings are rooted in trays filled with 50% peatand 50% perlite rooting medium placed in a greenhouse on a heated propagation mat. Cuttings are misted once a day. | ||
| Establishment Phase: | Rooting %: 20% in 4 to 5 months. | ||
| Length of Establishment Phase: | 4 to 5 months | ||
| Active Growth Phase: | Cuttings are lifted and transplanted into pots in the spring. Cuttings do not reach root tightness until the fall of the second year. | ||
| Length of Active Growth Phase: | 16 weeks | ||
| Hardening Phase: | Plants are given a thorough irrigation prior to overwintering. | ||
| Length of Hardening Phase: | 8 weeks | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: |
Total Time to Harvest: 2 years Harvest Date: September of the second year. Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery for 5 months under insulating cover and snow. |
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| Length of Storage: | 5 months | ||
| Other Comments: | Comments: Juvenility has been shown to be an important factor in rootability of other Kalmia species. September cuttings double wounded at base and treated with 8000 to 10,000 ppm IBA have been rooted to good percentages with K. latifolia. This treatment should be tried with this species. | ||
| References: |
Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, University of Washington Press, 7th printing, 1990. Seeds of the Woody Plants in North America, Young and Young, Dioscorides Press, 1992. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture, Dirr and Heuser, Varsity Press, 1987. Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished. |
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Citation:
Luna, Tara; Evans, Jeff; Wick, Dale. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Kalmia microphylla (Hook) Heller plants 800 ml containers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/21). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
