propagating

Can anyone tell me how to germinate seeds for lilacs, silver dollar bushes and lantanas? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Lilac seeds germinate readily at 70 deg F, best use vermiculite to avoid damping off.
Lantana also probably germinate at higher temperatures as they are common in places without very low temperatures (though I haven't grown them myself).
Can't figure out what a 'silver dollar bush' is, as a search on the PDB yields over 500 results... what's the genus?

Is it like this?

Money Plant, Honesty 'Variegata' (Lunaria annua)
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/53920/index.html

or this?
Money Plant, Honesty, Bolbonac, Moonwort, Silver Dollar (Lunaria annua)
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/794/index.html

Natural Walker,

I'm really not sure which plant it is. The seeds were given to me, but I was told it is the bush that gets the round silver dollar (leaves,pods?) that when dried are used in dried flower arrangements.

That sounds very much like 'Honesty' (Lunaria annua) which is, as the name suggests, an annual. It is not a 'bush' however.

To germinate the seeds sow them in a warm environment, they are very easy. You will find they readily self-seed, but can hardly be called 'invasive'.

Mike

Cinemike,

Thank you for your info, but do I sow the seeds on top of the soil or do I plant them underground? I think i just found the silver dollar plant, and they call it a crassula arborescens.


This message was edited Aug 12, 2004 1:16 PM

Crassula, I would sow on the surface, but you you must keep it moist. This plant has leaves that look like coins. With Lunaria it is the pods that look like silver coins.
Lunaria seeds are large, brown and flat, Crassula small and round.
Mike

cinemike,

I must have a lunaria because the seeds are round and flat. We haven't seen the plant because the seeds were given to us in a envelope. So if they are brown,round, and flat it is lunaria, correct? Then I should sow them on top of the soil. Is that usually the case for all seeds that are flat and thin? Thanks again for info.

Yes, put them on the top of the soil in a pot in a plastic bag. Use a stick to 'plough' the surface after sowing so they can get a purchase on the soil. Then outdoors in the shade, or on a north-facing windowsill would do. Replant very gently when they have four leaves.
Mike

Thanks mike