PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Wytsalucy, Reagan C AU - Drost, Daniel D AU - Dai, Xin AU - Black, Brent L AU - Cardon, Grant E TI - Improving Navajo spinach (<em>Cleome serrulata</em> Pursh) seed germination with cold stratification and hormone additions AID - 10.3368/npj.22.3.268 DP - 2021 Sep 21 TA - Native Plants Journal PG - 268--278 VI - 22 IP - 3 4099 - http://npj.uwpress.org/content/22/3/268.short 4100 - http://npj.uwpress.org/content/22/3/268.full SO - NATIVE PLANTS JOURNAL2021 Sep 21; 22 AB - Seed germination of Cleome serrulata Pursh (Capparaceae), often called Navajo spinach, stinkweed, or Rocky Mountain beeplant, is often quite low, and ways to increase germination percentage have not been determined. Cleome serrulata produces large amounts of pollen for many insect pollinators, contributes to erosion control, and is occasionally used as forage. The distribution of C. serrulata across the US and Canada suggests chilling and scarification could positively impact seed germination. This study applied various combinations of chilling duration (4 or 8 wk) over a range of temperatures (4 °C [39 °F], 7 °C [45 °F), 10 °C [50 °F], or 20 °C [68 °F; control]), scarification with H2O2, and various hormones (GA3 or GA4/7 and BA) to C. serrulata seed grown in Logan, Utah (seed source origin was Chinle, Arizona). Initial viability for C. serrulata seed was 94% via tetrazolium testing. Seed germination was responsive to both temperature and hormone applications. As chilling temperature increased from 4 ° to 20 °C (39–68 °F), germination percentage decreased from 50% to less than 2%. Various hormone treatments consisting of GA4/7 and BA applied prior to chilling resulted in seed germination of greater than 80% whereas less than 10% of untreated seeds germinated. Additionally, the speed of germination (T50) increased with temperature while germination spread (T10–90) decreased in hormone treatments. Our findings show that chilling duration, gibberellins, and seed after-ripening all influence seed germination and should be used to improve plant establishment.