Symphyotrichum (subspicatum)
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Asa Skinner Native Plant Specialist 613 Commercial Street Garibaldi, Oregon 97118 804-815-5167 asa@tbnep.org |
| Family Scientific Name: | Asteraceae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Sunflower Family | ||
| Scientific Name: | Symphyotrichum subspicatum | ||
| Common Name: | douglas' aster | ||
| Species Code: | SYSU4 | ||
| Ecotype: | Marshes, thickets, weedy meadows, open disturbed habitats; 0–1000 m (Flora of North America) | ||
| General Distribution: | Alberta, British Columbia, Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington | ||
| Propagation Goal: | Plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | Seed | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Stock Type: | Ray-Leach 10in^3 cone-tainer (SC10) | ||
| Time To Grow: | 6 months | ||
| Target Specifications: | Firmly rooted plug | ||
| Propagule Collection: |
Wild seed collection is moderately easy. Plants often grow in clumps and swaths in ditches, fallow fields, and around the perimeter of wetlands. This species ripens quickly and can be susceptible to being dispersed in fall storms but will retain some seed into early winter. The preferred collection method is to strip the plant of all flower parts, bracts, and phyllaries in the field and separate out later with screens and air. In North Oregon seeds are collected from late September through late October. |
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| Propagule Processing: | If plug production is the goal, seed can be roughly cleaned and sown with pappus still attached. This weedy species propagates easily from seeds and spreads quickly once established. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: | Seeds are non-dormant (Bartow, pg. 166) Seeds sown in November and March show similar germination rates. | ||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Grown in sowing soil consisting of: 60% grower peat moss (coarse) 10% coarse perlite 30% vermiculite (large grade) Wetting agent (aquagrow 2000M) 21-4-8 NPK Osmocote slow release fertilizer |
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| Establishment Phase: |
1. Racks are prepared by dibbling ½” of headspace in each tube. 2. 5 seeds with attached pappus are sown in each tube with tweezers and topped with medium coarse vermiculite. 3. Sown tubes are then placed in 50% shade structures until 50% of tubes have at least one germinant. 4. Racks are then placed in a heated greenhouse to force germination in the remaining tubes and then thinning and spaced before being moved back into shade structures to grow throughout the summer. Seeds sown in November in North Oregon will reach full germination in mid March. Seeds sown in the fall and spring are shown to achieve similar germination rates, but fall-sown seeds germinate and establish earlier. |
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| Length of Establishment Phase: | 1 month | ||
| Active Growth Phase: | This species establishes and grows quickly. A major challenge in plug production is keeping these seedlings moist enough throughout the summer. Plants can be aggressively pruned down to 2-3 nodes in early summer and again in early fall which will greatly decrease their water use and encourage root growth. | ||
| Length of Active Growth Phase: | 3-6 months | ||
| Hardening Phase: | Plants grown in a greenhouse need at least two weeks of hardening time in ambient temperatures with minimal watering. | ||
| Length of Hardening Phase: | 2 weeks | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: | Seed is relatively long-lived and can be stored for 5+ years if kept dry (35% RH) and out of direct sunlight. | ||
| Outplanting performance on typical sites: | This species is an early colonizer and performs well, even in sites with competition from weeds. The adults will spread both through runners and through seed dispersal. | ||
| Other Comments: | In the Pacific Northwest, this species is sympatric and morphologically similar to S. chilense. Symphyotrichum subspicatum has a higher ploidy level (2n=96 vs 2n=48) and is a slightly larger, more robust plant overall (Flora of Oregon). Cultivation and utility in restoration is identical for both of these species (Bartow, pg. 167). Therefore, it is advisable to record the habitat type of wild parent populations and use that to inform which phenotype is used in a particular restoration site. | ||
| References: |
AuVu, Kelly. Plant Propagation Protocol for Symphyotrichum subspicatum. ESRM 412 – Native Plant Production, University of Washington, 2016. Accessed January 30, 2025. Bartow, Amy. Native Seed Production Guide. USDA NRCS Corvallis Plant Materials Center, 2025, pp. 166-167. OregonFlora. Symphyotrichum subspicatum (Nees) G.L. Nesom. OregonFlora, Oregon State University. Accessed January 30, 2025. OregonFlora. Flora of North America. Symphyotrichum subspicatum (Nees) G. L. Nesom. Flora of North America, eFloras.org. Accessed January 30, 2025. Flora of North America. |
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Citation:
Skinner, Asa M A. 2025. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Symphyotrichum subspicatum Plants Ray-Leach 10in^3 cone-tainer (SC10) ; Garibaldi, Oregon. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/02/23). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
