Dryas (octopetala)

Tara Luna USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana 59936 (406) 888-7835 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/azpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Rosaceae
Family Common Name:	Rose family
Scientific Name:	Dryas octopetala L. hookeriana (Juz.) Hult.
Common Name:	Arctic Dryad
Species Code:	DRYOCT
Ecotype:	Subalpine meadow on exposed bedrock, Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, Glacier Co., MT. 2032m elevation.
General Distribution:	D. octopetala is a circumpolar species that is found from mid-montane to the alpine zone; from Alaska to the Rocky Mountains and Cascades, and east to southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon, and east across Canada to Labrador, and across Asia and Europe.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	172 ml conetainer
Time To Grow:	2 Years
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Containerseedling<br> Height: 3 cm, multiple leaves<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: Firm plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	The plumose achenes are collected in mid August when they are easily detached from the receptacle. Seeds are light tan at maturity. Seeds are collected in paper bags and kept in a well ventilated drying shed prior to cleaning.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds are cleaned by using a hammermill and office clipper. Seeds are stored at 0C and low humidity in sealed containers. Seed longevity is at least 3 to 5 years. Seed dormancy is classified as physiological dormancy. Seeds/Kg: 1,997,000/kg % Purity: 100% % Germination: N/A
Pre-Planting Treatments:	5 month cold, moist stratification.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Outdoor nursery growing facility. Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seeds are lightly covered with medium. Growing medium used is 70% 6:1:1 milled sphagnum peat, perlite, and vermiculite and 30% sand with Osmocote controlled release fertilizer (13N:13P2O5:13K2O; 8 to 9 month release rate at 21C) and Micromax fertilizer (12%S, 0.1%B, 0.5%Cu, 12%Fe, 2.5%Mn, 0.05%Mo, 1%Zn) at the rate of 1 gram of Osmocote and 0.20 gram of Micromax per 172 ml conetainer. Conetainers are filled and sown in late fall and irrigated thoroughly prior to winter stratification. Seedlings germinate in spring under fluctuating outdoor temperatures and are grown under full sun exposure. Seedlings are irrigated with Rainbird automatic irrigation system in early morning until containers are thoroughly leached. Average growing season of nursery is from late April after snowmelt until October 15th.
Establishment Phase:	Seedlings germinate in May and June. Germination is uneven and continues over a 2 month period in the outdoor nursery. True leaves develop 4 weeks after germination.
Length of Establishment Phase:	8 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Seed grown plants did not reach root tightness the first growing season. Initial root growth is slow. Plants are fertilized with 20-20-20 liquid NPK at 100 ppm bi-weekly during the growing season.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	12 weeks
Hardening Phase:	Plants are fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK at 200 ppm during August and September. Irrigation is gradually reduced in September and October. Plants were given one final irrigation prior to winterization.
Length of Hardening Phase:	4 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Total Time to Harvest: 1.8 years from seed Harvest Date: July of the 2nd year Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam cover and snow.
Length of Storage:	5 months
Other Comments:	D. octopetala is mat-forming, nitrogen fixing pioneer species that colonizes barren slopes at high elevations. Dryas forms a symbiotic relationship with Frankia nitrogen fixing bacteria. seedlings and cuttings would benefit from inoculation during cultivation. There are 2 botanical varieties; var. angustifolia and var. hoookeriana.
References:	Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press, 7th printing, 1973. Seed Germination Theory and Practice, Second Edition, Deno, Norman, published 1993. Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species, National Park Service, Hassell, Wendel, April 1996. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, Baskin and Baskin, Academic Press, 1998.

Citation:

Luna, Tara; Evans, Jeff; Wick, Dale. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Dryas octopetala L. plants 172 ml conetainer; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/25). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.