Lupinus (sericeus)

Dave Skinner PMC Farm Manager USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Room 211A Hulbert Hall WSU Pullman, Washington 99164-6211 509-335-9689 509-335-2940 (fax) abbie@wsu.edu http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/wapmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Fabaceae
Family Common Name:	Legume
Scientific Name:	Lupinus sericeus Dougl. ex Lindl.
Common Name:	Silky lupine
Species Code:	LUSE3
Ecotype:	Paradise Creek drainage near Pullman, WA
General Distribution:	Western North America from British Columbia and southwest Alberta south to Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona. In eastern Washington it is typically found in sagebrush, grasslands, and open Ponderosa pine forests.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	10 cu. in.
Time To Grow:	4 Months
Target Specifications:	Tight root plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are collected when the pods begin to split in July and August. Pods can be collected individually for maximum seed yield or the entire stalk may be cut. Cutting entire stalks results in collection of much immature seed. Ripening is indeterminant and the pods shatter readily when ripe. Seed collection must be done frequently. Use of Spodnam, an abscission layer inhibitor, did not appreciably reduce shattering. Seed is stored in paper bags or envelopes at room temperature until cleaned. There is wide variation in seed size within and among plants. Link (1993) reports 19,700 to 42,000 seeds/pound while Hassell et al (1996) reports a range of 12,900 to 42,000 seeds/pound.
Propagule Processing:	Small amounts are crushed by hand to free the seed, then cleaned with an air column separator. Larger amounts can be threshed with a hammermill, then cleaned with air screen equipment. 70-80% of the seed will shatter free of the pods, and 20-30% can be recovered by hammermilling before cleaning. Use of a hammermill on the shattered portion increases seed damage and is not necessary. Clean seed is stored in controlled conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	The seed coat restricts water uptake and germination is increased by scarification. Seed of L. polyphyllus benefits from hot water scarification (Kruckeberg 1996). Some other lupine species require acid or hot water scarification while others germinate without pretreatment(Young & Young 1986). Fresh seed germinates without pretreatment but stored seed should be hot water scarified (Mirov & Kraebel 1939). L. argenteus seed should be scarified (McDonough 1969). Romme et al (1995) found, however, that scarification increased the speed of germination but not total germination for L. argenteus. The seed of L. sericeus is also brittle and easily damaged by mechanical scarifiers. Rubbing the seed by hand between two pieces of sandpaper is effective but it is difficult to control the amount of scarification. Hot water scarification is the most effective method. Water is boiled, then removed from the heat source and seed immediately placed in the hot water. It is allowed to cool for several hours, then planted. Results of trials at the Pullman Plant Materials Center showed 75% emergence by this method.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Seed should be inoculated with the appropriate Rhizombium species before sowing. In January scarified seed is sown in the greenhouse in 10 cu. in. Ray Leach Super cell conetainers filled with Sunshine #4 and covered lightly. Head space of ¬ to « inch is maintained in conetainers to allow deep watering. A thin layer of coarse grit is applied to prevent seeds from floating during watering. Conetainers are watered deeply.
Establishment Phase:	Medium is kept moist until emergence occurs. Emergence begins in 5 days and is usually complete in 3 weeks. However, a few seeds may germinate after 5-6 weeks.
Length of Establishment Phase:	3 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are watered deeply every other day and fertilized once per week with a complete, water soluble fertilizer containing micro-nutrients.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	2-3 months
Hardening Phase:	Plants are moved to the cold frame in late March or early April, depending on weather conditions. They are watered every other day if the weather is cool, and every day during hot, dry spells.
Length of Hardening Phase:	2 weeks
Other Comments:	The plants are short lived but vigorously reseed themselves. Seed may be propelled 10 feet or more from the mother plant when the pod shatters. Seed is also subject to insect predation. Rodents will burrow into and eat the crowns, killing the plants. Some lupines can also be propagated from stem cuttings in a frame with bottom heat (Mirov & Kraebel 1939). Seed maintains high germination after storage of up to 15 years in an unheated warehouse (Stevens et al 1981). Lupines contain poisonous alkaloids in varying amounts depending on species, plant part, maturity, and possibly ecotype. Seeds and fruits have the highest concentrations. Wildlife eat the plants, but they are toxic to domestic livestock, especially sheep.
References:	Hassell, Wendell, W. Rocky Beavers, Steve Ouellette, and Thomas Mitchell. 1996. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species. USDI National Park Service and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. 25 pp. Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 730 pp. Kruckeberg, Arthur R. 1996. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. 2nd ed. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 282 pp. Larrison, Earl J., Grace W. Patrick, William H. Baker, and James A. Yaich. 1974. Washington Wildflowers. The Seattle Audubon Society. Seattle, WA. 376 pp. Link, Ellen (ed.). 1993. Native Plant Propagation Techniques for National Parks Interim Guide. USDA SCS Rose Lake Plant Materials Center and USDI National Park Service. East Lansing, Michigan. 240 pp. McDonough, Walter T. 1969. Effective Treatments for the Induction of Germination in Mountain Rangeland Species. Northwest Science 43:18-22. Mirov, N.T., and C.J. Kraebel. 1939. Collecting and Handling Seeds of Wild Plants. Civilian Conservation Corps Forestry publ. No.5. US Government Printing Office. Washington, DC. Piper, C.V., and R.K. Beattie. 1914. The Flora of Southeastern Washington and Adjacent Idaho. Lancaster, PA. Press of the New Era Printing Company. 296 p. Rickett, Harold W. 1973. Wildflowers of the United States: The Central Mountains and Plains. Vol. 6. (3 parts). McGraw Hill, New York. Romme, William H., Laura Bohland, Cynthia Perischetty, and Tanya Caruso. 1995. Germination Ecology of Some Common Forest Herbs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. Arctic and Alpine Research 27:407-412. Rose, Robin, Caryn E.C. Chachulski, and Diane L. Haase. 1998. Propagation of Pacific Northwest Native Plants. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR. 248 pp. St. John, Harold. 1963. Flora of Southeastern Washington and of Adjacent Idaho. 3rd edition. Outdoor Pictures. Escondido, CA. 583 pp. Stevens, Richard, Kent R. Jorgensen, and James N. Davis. 1981. Viability of Seed From Thirty-two Shrub and Forb Species Through Fifteen Years of Warehouse Storage. Great Basin Naturalist 41:274-277. USDA NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 20 March 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. Young, James A. and Cheryl G. Young. 1986. Collecting, Processing and Germinating Seeds of Wildland Plants. Timber Press. Portland, OR. 236 pp.

Citation:

Skinner, David M,. 2007. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Lupinus sericeus Dougl. ex Lindl. plants 10 cu. in.; USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Pullman, Washington. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.