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The Forest Service National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources (RNGR) is a leading source of technical information for nurseries and land managers regarding production and planting of trees and other native plants for reforestation, restoration, and conservation.

 
NPN Protocol Details Image

Penstemon (ellipticus)

Tara Luna
USDI NPS - Glacier National Park
West Glacier, Montana 59936
(406) 888-7835
http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/azpmc
Family Scientific Name: Scrophulariaceae
Family Common Name: Figwort family
Scientific Name: Penstemon ellipticus Coult. & Fisch
Common Name: Elliptic-leaved penstemon
Species Code: PENELL
Ecotype: Talus and scree slide, Logan Pass, 2038 m elev.
General Distribution: P. ellipticus is a northern Rocky Mountain species; occurring in subalpine to alpine areas in cliffs, talus and scree. It is found in B.C. and Alberta and Idaho and Montana.
Propagation Goal: plants
Propagation Method: vegetative
ProductType: Container (plug)
Stock Type: 800 ml containers
Time To Grow: 1 Years
Target Specifications: StockType: Container cutting.<br> Height: 7 cm, 6 to 10 true leaves.<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: Firm plug in container.
Propagule Collection: Vegetative Propagation Method: Pre-Rooting
Type of Cutting: Spring hardwood and softwood stem tip cuttings collected after snowmelt at high elevations.
Propagule Processing: Cuttings are kept moist and under refrigeration prior to pre treatment.
Pre-Planting Treatments: Cutting Treatments: Both semi-hardwood and softwood cuttings were cut to 10 cm lengths, with 1/3 leaves and leafbuds removed.
Cuttings were placed in Domain fungicide bath for 2 minutes and treated with 1000 ppm liquid IBA.
Cuttings were placed in 50:50 Sand/Perlite rooting medium in mist beds with bottom heat set at 21 C.
Rooting: 67%:semihardwood cuttings.
Rooting: 92% softwood cuttings.
Growing Area Preparation/
Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:		 The outdoor mistbed has automatic intermittent mist that is applied at 6 second intervals every 6 minutes. Too frequent misting will result in leaf and stem rot. Misting frequency is increased or decreased according to daily outdoor temperature and wind. Bottom heat is maintained at 21 C with heating cables buried 12 cm beneath rooting medium.
Mistbed is covered with shadecloth during rooting.
After cuttings are potted, they are moved to an outdoor shadehouse for 4 weeks. They are later moved to full sun exposure in the outdoor nursery and 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: Time to Transplant: Cuttings produced well branched root systems in 4 weeks. Cuttings are taken in late summer; thus, it is best to keep cuttings overwinter in mist beds and uppot the following spring. Cuttings are root tight in pots 2 months after potting.
Length of Establishment Phase: 4 weeks
Active Growth Phase: After cuttings were lifted from the mistbed the following spring, they were potted into 800 ml containers.
Growing media used is 70% 6:1:1 milled sphagnum peat, perlite, and vermiculite and 30% coarse 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 0.25 gram of Micromax per container. Cuttings were irrigated after potting. After establishment in the shadehouse, plants were moved to full sun exposure in the outdoor nursery. Plants are ready for outplanting in July.
Length of Active Growth Phase: 12 weeks
Hardening Phase: Plants are leached with water, and irrigation frequency is gradually reduced in September and October. One final irrigation is applied before covering for the winter.
Length of Hardening Phase: 4 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: Total Time to Harvest: 1 year from cuttings.
Harvest Date: Late August and Early September
Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam and snow cover.
Length of Storage: 5 months
Other Comments: P. ellipticus is also easily propagated by seeds.
References: Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, Univ. of Washington Press, 7th printing, 1973.
Glacier Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition, Deno, Norman, publ. 1993.
Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species, Hassell, Wendel, National Park Service and National Resources Conservation Service, April 1996.
1999 Revegetation Monitoring Report,Glacier National Park, Asebrook, J. and Brenneman, B., unpublished.

Citation:

Luna, Tara; Evans, Jeff; Wick, Dale; Hosokawa, Joy. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Penstemon ellipticus Coult. & Fisch plants 800 ml containers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/02/24). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.