False Hellebore
Veratrum californicum
zones 2-5
30 seeds
There are often arguments over Veratrum californicum's common name. Some people call it "Skunk Cabbage". But it is not related to the Skunk Cabbage of the east. It is even more often called "False Hellebore" because it resembles European Hellebores. But it is not a Hellebore. It is commonly called "Corn Lily" because it is hard to look at without thinking of corn. But it is not related to corn. And it is not even a lily. Common names often produce problems.
Linnaeus originated the scientific genus name Veratrum in 1753, and Elias Durand named the species Veratrum californicum in 1855 from a specimen collected by Pratten near Nevada City, California in 1854. Amos Heller named the species Veratrum tenuipetalum in 1905, but Veratrum californicum is the widely accepted scientific name today.
Veratrum is Latin for "true black", referring to the black rhizomes of plants in this genus. Tenu is Latin for "thin" or "slender" and petalum is Greek for "a leaf" or "spread out flat". Veratrum californicum is being studied for its potential medicinal uses in fighting brain and other cancers.
Since stored seed is more difficult to germinate, direct sowing seeds in autumn brings the most success. As long as you experience temperatures of 40 degrees F or below for a good part of the winter, False Hellebore should have no trouble germinating.
If the seeds can’t be sown in autumn, they will need 3 months of cold, moist stratification. To stratify seeds indoors, mix them with a little moist soil in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. Try to time the stratification so that it ends when temperatures are between 60-70 degrees F. Following sufficient stratification either sow the seed directly or in pots. At temperatures of 60-70 F, most of the seeds should germinate in about 3 weeks. You can often see some early germinators in the plastic bags in the refrigerator. This is a good sign that the seeds are ready to sow.
Veratrum californicum
zones 2-5
30 seeds
There are often arguments over Veratrum californicum's common name. Some people call it "Skunk Cabbage". But it is not related to the Skunk Cabbage of the east. It is even more often called "False Hellebore" because it resembles European Hellebores. But it is not a Hellebore. It is commonly called "Corn Lily" because it is hard to look at without thinking of corn. But it is not related to corn. And it is not even a lily. Common names often produce problems.
Linnaeus originated the scientific genus name Veratrum in 1753, and Elias Durand named the species Veratrum californicum in 1855 from a specimen collected by Pratten near Nevada City, California in 1854. Amos Heller named the species Veratrum tenuipetalum in 1905, but Veratrum californicum is the widely accepted scientific name today.
Veratrum is Latin for "true black", referring to the black rhizomes of plants in this genus. Tenu is Latin for "thin" or "slender" and petalum is Greek for "a leaf" or "spread out flat". Veratrum californicum is being studied for its potential medicinal uses in fighting brain and other cancers.
Since stored seed is more difficult to germinate, direct sowing seeds in autumn brings the most success. As long as you experience temperatures of 40 degrees F or below for a good part of the winter, False Hellebore should have no trouble germinating.
If the seeds can’t be sown in autumn, they will need 3 months of cold, moist stratification. To stratify seeds indoors, mix them with a little moist soil in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. Try to time the stratification so that it ends when temperatures are between 60-70 degrees F. Following sufficient stratification either sow the seed directly or in pots. At temperatures of 60-70 F, most of the seeds should germinate in about 3 weeks. You can often see some early germinators in the plastic bags in the refrigerator. This is a good sign that the seeds are ready to sow.
Veratrum californicum
zones 2-5
30 seeds
There are often arguments over Veratrum californicum's common name. Some people call it "Skunk Cabbage". But it is not related to the Skunk Cabbage of the east. It is even more often called "False Hellebore" because it resembles European Hellebores. But it is not a Hellebore. It is commonly called "Corn Lily" because it is hard to look at without thinking of corn. But it is not related to corn. And it is not even a lily. Common names often produce problems.
Linnaeus originated the scientific genus name Veratrum in 1753, and Elias Durand named the species Veratrum californicum in 1855 from a specimen collected by Pratten near Nevada City, California in 1854. Amos Heller named the species Veratrum tenuipetalum in 1905, but Veratrum californicum is the widely accepted scientific name today.
Veratrum is Latin for "true black", referring to the black rhizomes of plants in this genus. Tenu is Latin for "thin" or "slender" and petalum is Greek for "a leaf" or "spread out flat". Veratrum californicum is being studied for its potential medicinal uses in fighting brain and other cancers.
Since stored seed is more difficult to germinate, direct sowing seeds in autumn brings the most success. As long as you experience temperatures of 40 degrees F or below for a good part of the winter, False Hellebore should have no trouble germinating.
If the seeds can’t be sown in autumn, they will need 3 months of cold, moist stratification. To stratify seeds indoors, mix them with a little moist soil in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. Try to time the stratification so that it ends when temperatures are between 60-70 degrees F. Following sufficient stratification either sow the seed directly or in pots. At temperatures of 60-70 F, most of the seeds should germinate in about 3 weeks. You can often see some early germinators in the plastic bags in the refrigerator. This is a good sign that the seeds are ready to sow.