Mendel’s Gardens

Kalmia cuneata

White Wicky

Family EricaceaeGenus Kalmia

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
Perennial, Shrub
Native range
Native to the lower 48 states

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Source: PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS.

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Separate the seed from its case

    Crush the hard capsule so light can reach the seed.

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 56 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    Jaynes held eight weeks at 40 to be necessary.

  3. Sow on the surface — do not cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 8 weeks from start to sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

Jaynes's finding as Deno reports it. No percentage is given for this species.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, KalmiaPublic domain
Show the original text
Kalmia (Ericaceae). Kalmia requires light as found by R. Jaynes for K. angustifolia, K. cuneata, K. hirsuta, K. latifolia, K. microphylla, and K. polifolia (ref. 41) and confirmed by myself for K. angustifolia and K. latifolia. Jaynes claimed that an eight week period at 40 was necessary for germination of K. latifolia (and K. cuneata). Jaynes also found that the cold requirement disappeared after a year of DS. The seed is contained in hard spherical capsules. These must be crushed to allow light to reach the seed. The seed is small and hard to separate from the hard capsules so that seed counts and percent germination are inaccurate.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Kalmia. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.