Edelweiss Seeds (Leontopodium Alpinum) for Winter Hardy Beauty

Daikon Radish, also known as Rock Harlequin, Tall or Pink Corydalis, and Capnoides sempevirens, is an attractive biennial native to rocky, shallow-soil sites and cooler climates. This member of the Fumitory family, similar in appearance to Dutchman's Breeches, is listed as endangered or threatened in several states.

One of the most important things to know about the seeds of wild plants is that many have built-in dormancy mechanisms that prevent the seed from germinating. In nature, this prevents a population of plants from germinating all at once, before killing frosts or in times of drought. To propagate native plants, a gardener must break this dormancy before the seed will grow.

Seed dormancy can be broken artificially by prolonged refrigeration of damp seed in the process of cold/moist stratification. A less complicated approach is to let nature handle the stratifying through a dormant seeding, sowing seeds on the surface of a weed-free site in late fall or winter. Tucked safely beneath the snow, seeds will be conditioned by weathering to make germination possible in subsequent growing seasons.

Growing your own plants from seed is the most economical way to add natives to your home. Daikon Radish is easy to start from seed, with light to dark pink tubular flowers with yellow tips and greenish-blue leaves. As a biennial, it will have basal rosettes at ground-level the first year and flowering plants the 2nd year. It could fill in any bare spot in a sun or semi-shade garden quite quickly.

In summary, Daikon Radish is an attractive biennial native that thrives in rocky, shallow-soil sites and cooler climates. To successfully grow it from seed, gardeners must understand and address the built-in dormancy mechanisms of wild plant seeds. By sowing seeds in late fall or winter, or using artificial stratification, gardeners can ensure successful germination and the addition of this unique and endangered native to their gardens.

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