Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Veronica besseya

Alpine Kittentails

Family PlantaginaceaeGenus Veronica

Also published as Veronica besseya, Synthyris alpina. You are in the right place.

A dense woolly spike of violet tubular flowers with protruding stamens, above grey ferny leaves on stony alpine ground.
Flowerlaiet17CC0

Worth knowing

  • Alpine kittentails is now Veronica besseya. Rydberg named the genus Besseya after his teacher at the University of Nebraska, Charles Edwin Bessey, and when the plant moved to Veronica the name Veronica alpina was already taken, so it was named besseya. Wikipedia: Veronica besseya

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around November 17, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

    11 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

about 3 months from start to sowing. Then 49 days to germinate.

65% germination in 28–49 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Synthyris p. 80Public domain
Show the original text
Synthyris (Scrophulariaceae). S. alpina (syn. Bessya alpina) germ. 70D(54% in 1-9 w)-40-70D(23% in 2-4 d), 70 GA-3{3%), and 40(65% in 4-7 w)- 70D(11 %). Light had no effect. Seeds DS 1 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Synthyris p. 80. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around November 3, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

    23 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

about 3 months from start to sowing. Then 63 days to germinate.

54% germination in 7–63 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Synthyris p. 80Public domain
Show the original text
Synthyris (Scrophulariaceae). S. alpina (syn. Bessya alpina) germ. 70D(54% in 1-9 w)-40-70D(23% in 2-4 d), 70 GA-3{3%), and 40(65% in 4-7 w)- 70D(11 %). Light had no effect. Seeds DS 1 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Synthyris p. 80. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Add to My Garden

View species page