Chaparral of the Eastern Sierra
Holy smokes! I think I just hit upon the Holy Grail of native plant geekery. I innocently googled Nemophila germination hoping to find some nugget of wisdom as to why mine didn't do a darn thing (I'm crossing my fingers that it was the frosty days and not some other propagator's flaw). Well, I did not find my answer, but I hit upon a paper talking about the relationship between seed germination and wildfires in Chaparral plant communities! It even touches upon certain plants that require seed distribution by animals and insects! It's published online by the Western Ecological Research Center, which boasts offices across our state and its neighbors. Can't wait to delve further into this new find.
Apparently, Romneya coulteri has a higher germination rate when it's "in the presence of charred wood." My wheels are turning...
I realize that most folks might either consider this old hat or have absolutely no interest, but I have gained so much knowledge from this community, that I thought I'd give back just a little.
