Sweet sweet germination of Euphorbia, Echium, and Sonchus

Germination for the seeds from Rare Plants has been amazing. Extremely high germination rates from every species that has started germinating. There may be a bit of a hassle to order from since I have to get a USDA permit and it just took months for the seeds to even make it to the USDA inspection station. But the benefits far outweigh the costs as they have many seeds which are impossible to find, particularly with Canary Island natives.

Echium onosmifolium has been really beginning to sprout. I would take a guess that 80% of the seeds germinated within a week! This Echium grows to about 3 feet tall with dark spiny leaves and beautiful white flowers. It looks a bit like Echium fastuosum, which is relatively common in Los Angeles. But the flowers are white and the leaves look darker and skinnier.

Echium onosmifolium sprouts

Echium onosmifolium in the wild (image from stridvall.se)

Another plant which has begun to sprout is Euphorbia tuckeyana. Euphorbia is such a huge genus with representatives looking everywhere from a giant cactus to a minute moss. Euphorbia tuckeyana looks to me like a shrubby spurge. A fair amount of mold has grown with the seeds on the paper towel but it does not seem to be a problem for the seeds yet. I will transplant to individual pots in a few days, which should remedy the problem.

Euphorbia tuckeyana seedlings

Euphorbia tuckeyana in habitat (from alewand.de)

The Sonchus were the first to germinate, showing their tiny white root tips just a few days after putting them in their bags. They tiny sprouts might prove to be difficult to plant, so I am thinking I will move them to individual containers before they show their first leaves. Sonchus acaulis, congestus, and hierrensis have all begun to germinate!

Sonchus hierrensis sprouting

I am rapidly developing a nice collection of giant dandelions. I have seedlings of Sonchus acaulis, congestus, and hierrensis, plus plants of Sonchus palmensis and Sonchus canariensis. I have a few more seeds which need to germinate, which should leave me at about 8 or 9 different Sonchus varieties. Its unfortunate that Sonchus can only grow a few places in the USA, preferring cool but not cold, and humid. This basically leaves me to the California coast and a small part of the Oregon coast. Happy to be in LA for now but who knows what the future will hold.