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Fast blooming woodland natives from seed

13 years ago

Can anyone suggest native woodland wildflowers I can sow in fall that will bloom the following spring? I want to grow Ohio woodland natives like spring beauty, violets, lady slippers, squirrel corn, mayapple, touch-me-nots, woodland phlox, dutchman's breeches, jacob's ladder, virginia bluebells, wild geranium and so on.

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mosswitch
13 years ago
A lot of the plants you mention take at least a full year or two of growth to bloom. I have grown them all for 25 yrs or more, and violets, woodland phlox, and Jacob's ladder need a full year (spring to spring) at least. Virginia bluebells take 2 years, as does wild geranium, which is a rhizome. The dicentra family (Dutchman's breeches, squirrel corn) usually take about 3-5 years from seed. Touch-me-nots can be seeded in fall and will bloom the next year as they are hardy annuals. Spring beauties are bulbs, and if planted from seed, take 3-5 yrs, bulbs will bloom in the spring. Don't know about lady slippers, I think you almost have to have a plant, and they are horribly expensive ($50-75!!!!) Most of the plants you mention can be purchased in plant form at a local nursery or on line, tho you may not be able to find them for sale until spring as many of them go summer dormant. In fact, most of those plants are better planted in spring when they can have a whole year to grow before they bloom. Fall is not really a good time to plant the ephemerals, even if you could find them, with the exception maybe of ferns, violets and Jacob's ladder which do not go summer dormant. It takes a lot of patience to grow those plants from see. If you can find the plants, you will be much happier with the results. Check your local nurseries, or find a friend willing to share. Just don't dig them from the wild!

Good luck starting a woodland garden, I love mine!
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