I found this today on my Allamanda 'Cherries Jubilee'. I've never seen one before, and after examining the flowers I would think it was sterile due to the lack of any of the usual seed producing parts as far as I can tell, but... the pod is there.
Anyone else ever gotten seeds from one of these?
Wow, what a cool looking seed pod.
That is neat Indigo. I've never seen any seed pods on mine. Thanks for sharing this picture.
I have gotten seeds. They take several months to ripen. The pod will turn golden brown and the seeds are inside.
Any success in germinating them Cala?
Nope, not a one came up. I think they need to have warmth to germinate and I just put them in the greenhouse without any bottom heat or anything.
Chris,
Have you tried rooting cuttings or were you just leaping out to try something new (germinating these seeds)?
I'm not Chris, but I've rooted the Allamanda before. It's not difficult to root.
Bug, Clare, (I would be Chris for those interested:-) I've never tried rooting them... I just got the plant last June. It's the only one I've ever had that has done much for me, but it's also the first of the more shrubby types (scandent, I think is the correct term for it) I've had. The yellow vine type ones never do good for me, mealy bugs love them, and they never live through the winter inside.
As for the pod, I would like to try whatever is inside, just to see if I can get it to come up. I tend to get bored over the winter and buy weird seeds to start inside, but maybe this year I'll have homegrown ones to try.
I still am planning to put up my massive sheet of plastic over the side yard, which is where the Allamanda is, so I guess I'll leave it out there and hope the pod makes it.
I was leaning toward scrapping the whole plastic mess and moving everything in, but the passifloras, allamanda, and several others have rooted into the ground through the pot drainage holes, so I have to at least try the plastic idea. I'm sure I'll post some pictures when I finally have to put it up, so be looking around the first part of December, which is when it usually freezes for the first time, and wish me luck:-)
Chris, I think covering with plastic like a coldframe would work in your zone. When we were in the process of moving from zone 7 to here, I kept mine in a coldframe(in TN) with a propane heater. I only used the heater when it was going to be below 35 or so at night. The only time I lost stuff was when I was in TX and no one turned my heater on and it got below freezing at home.
Chris, I never even got flowers on my Allamanda this summer, but I think it was slow recovering from the winter here. Hubby just bought me a large tent to put outside for the winter so that I don't have to drag my subtropicals and tropicals in and out all winter. I think that I will put my Allamanda in it so that winter will be easier to take.
Cala,
I know you're not Chris (lol). Sorry about the mix-up. That was my fault. Thanks for the info on the coldframe too. I think I'll be using this idea here too. I just hate to crowd the entire sunroom with plants to the point that we can't even use it. I'll do it if I have to though. :-)
Indigo,
Good luck with germinating them and do let us know if you have any luck. I would be interested in knowing what comes out of the seed. I wonder if it would be like the parents or if it would change back to something else.
Here's a new picture... it's close to twice as large as in the first picture. How big can I expect it to get, Cala?
Neat!
I can see the little sheath at the base of the seed pod. Thes are always left on the plant after the blooms are spent.
Wow, that pod is going to be pretty big! I think it still has a bit more growing to do because the spines are still really close together.
My bush alamanda has two pods on it. None on Cherries Jubilee so far.
I found one of these prickly pods on a vine at the nursery.
Did anyone seed what was inside one of these pods?
I opened this up after it was good and dried. What are the normal seeds supposed to look like?
Molly
I eventually had to open mine after frost got it. It was nowhere near ripe and the seeds were worthless, but they were large and flat, kinda papery looking. I don't know how they would've looked though if they had been given time to reach maturity. No pods this year so far:-(
Cool looking seed pod.
:) Donna
Okay, in this pod there were two seeds. They are about the size, shape and color of a puple bauhinia seed. They are not paper thin at all.
Looks like I may have the real deal. I will take a photo of these later to day to show.
Molly,
:^)))
