Propagating White Orchid Tree Seeds

My mother gave me alot of dried seed pods from her huge white orchid tree here in South Texas...and I would love to try to propagate some seedlings for our San Antonio swap coming up in October....Anyone have any experience attempting this?

I've grown other Bauhinia seeds and my experience has been that they germinate much better than a lot of other tropical tree seeds. I think I soaked them overnight in warm water then planted in seed starting mix with bottom heat and fluorescent grow lights over them (some germinated as quickly as a week, most within a month).

I had failure after failure w/ Bauhinia; thought I would eventually die without having met this goal! I got fresh seed from a really nice DGer and wow! success. Then just germinated Bauhinia Corymbosa, fresh from my own vine, woohoo!

The 1st set were Bauhinia m. and I did start them in the house in winter/late spring; 1st soaked for 24 hours in warm water w/ a little hydrogen peroxide; some did/some did not have heat to the bottom. There was a greater success rate - or maybe I should say a faster rate, for those w/ heat. Most of these took 2 weeks, some well over a month, a few closer to 2 mos! Really I'd given up hope and set the pots outside but hadn't gotten around to dumping them.

The corymbosa did not get soaked or have bottom heat as I was just checking to see if the seed was mature - opened a pod, stuck them in a damp paper towel in a baggie and checked them every few days. I was just about to toss them and voila! ALL germinated! Believe it was 2 weeks give or take.

Biggest recommendation would be to make sure they are not soggy! Moist is good, good drainage is MANDATORY, swimming and water logged is an absolute no no.

Hope that helps.

Thanks aprilwillis and ecrane3...that actually helps alot. Sooo...can you soak em in a baggy in the fridge....or do they have to be a bit warm...?

I soaked mine in warm water per the instructions I got when I bought them, not sure what would happen if you put them in the fridge, but I'm assuming it would probably slow down germination. I've never done the baggie approach so I'm not sure if that's also a room temperature activity or if you can do that in the fridge and be fine.

I wouldn't put them in the fridge- these are tropicals and I think the warmer- to a point- the better. The baggie was at room temp but the inside ends up being a bit warmer, kind of like a mini, VERY cheap greenhouse.

k....I'm definitely going to give it a try. I've got LOTS of seed pods that are dried out....I'm also wondering if they would survive our chilly hill country winters?

Some of them would need protection in your area but did note that on plantfiles
Mexican Orchid Tree and Anacacho Orchid Tree (Bauhinia lunarioides)- both of them are white flowering; have been reported to grow in SA- Hong Kong would not be suitable for your area I think- I know that it's not recommended for my area either. My daughter always suggests that I try things in protected areas or on the south side of the house if I am not sure.

Do you have a Latin name to go along with the common name White Orchid Tree? Most Bauhinia species need zone 9 or sometimes zone 10, but there are a few that can get by in zone 8, and even if it's a zone 9 one, if you can provide some protection or a warmer microclimate it may survive the winters once it's established. If you know the Latin name, I would look it up in Plant Files, then probably search around on the internet a bit too because PF is sometimes off a little bit. Even if you have a protected area or a warmer microclimate, I would try to give it extra protection when it's young, or keep it in a pot until it gets big and then plant it out.

Agree potting them for a bit is a good idea. Also when you put it in the ground lots of mulch for the winter is a good idea.

The mexican orchid is Bauhinia mexicana- I have seen them growing here and they are gorgeous. I was never a fan of white flowers- not that I didn't like them but there were always so many prettier colored flowers that caught my attention; however, when I saw these growing, more than 6 feet tall, about 3 or 4 in a row, all in bloom in The Heights, it changed my mind! Very pretty.

Agree potting them for a bit is a good idea. Also when you put it in the ground lots of mulch for the winter is a good idea.

The mexican orchid is Bauhinia mexicana- http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/56803/index.html

I have seen them growing here and they are gorgeous. I was never a fan of white flowers- not that I didn't like them but there were always so many prettier colored flowers that caught my attention; however, when I saw these growing, more than 6 feet tall, about 3 or 4 in a row, all in bloom in The Heights, it changed my mind! Very pretty.

Uh oh think it was the other white I saw in The Heights.

Sorry...I posted at the same time you did. I meant did TxTurquoise know the Latin name for the seeds in question. I have B. mexicana and like it...so far it's the only one of my Bauhinia's that's bloomed for me.

I have this one Bauhinia galpinii, it's about 3 years old, never grown very large and never bloomed for me, but I see it blooming locally. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/58957/index.html

This one Purple Orchid Tree, blooms locally all the time, I think this is the one my daughter has as do several of her neighbors- about 5 minutes from me. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2325/index.html

Yellow Bauhinia I had in my previous yard, it blooms well and it quite hardy and given space grows quikcly.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2066/index.html

All of my new seedlings are Monandra - they are supposed to do well here, but I have no experience w/ them. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/53511/index.html

What I do have most experience w/ is corymbosa; bought it last year just a scraggly little thing that I figured I'd kill in no time. It did very well over our extremely mild winter, has flowered non-stop since the weather got warm and sends out seed pods like there is not tomorrow. It's pink, it's pretty and has been able to successfully fight for space w/ an out of control snail vine and a passion vine incense. I love it and highly recommend it. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/75024/index.html

All of mine are pretty young and some of them I grew from seed, so I wasn't expecting any blooms for a while. Right now I'm growing purpurea, x blakeana, mexicana, malabarica, variegata, and petersiana ssp macrantha (a couple of them didn't enjoy our recent week of 110+ temperatures, so I need to assess the damage this weekend!). And I think I just ordered galpinii in my recent frenzy of mail-ordering (being cooped up inside because it was too hot to go out had me bored, so I shopped for plants online...hoping for no more heatwaves anytime soon or I'll be bankrupt!)

I had corymbosa at my old house (it was planted in the garden vs in a pot like the rest of them so I didn't take it with me when I moved). The first winter it got killed to the ground but then surprised me by coming back to life right after I'd given up hope, but it never got big enough to bloom that year. Survived last winter fine but then I moved before I got a chance to see it bloom! There's a nursery here that sells them from time to time so as soon as they get some in I'm going to get some more.

Sorry guys, I'm not quite that knowledgeable when it comes to taxonomy and latin names for plants. All I can usually think of are common names. My mother's tree is huge probably about 10' or so....and the width is about the same. Its blooms are indeed white...with a hint of yellow inside...sort of similar to a Desert Willow or Catalpa tree bloom. I've seen the lavender color...my sister recently bought a young tree....but this white just catches my fancy...for some reason, similar to my preference for white crepe myrtles.. :)

I think I'll definitely try the damp/warm paper towel in a baggy....and then a pot for the winter....It certainly sounds like a more fail proof method....thanks for your help and info! :)

Well dang it, could be this one

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/130370/index.html

I did notice that htop post some photos and I do know that htop is from SA so this is probably the best resource for you; http://davesgarden.com/members/htop/

Wow....thats it...april....The bloom looks just like that....hmm...actually looks sort of like a gardenia..now that I look at it a bit closer...lol... Yeah, I believe htop is coming to our swap in October...or did I dream that? lol...Anyhoo...now I have the right info on my particular seed! :) Thanks...

I started 40 of the whites and 30 of the pinks this Feb . i ised theam for tradeing at the plant swaps here . all i do is put a bunch of seeds on a wet paper towel in a bowl cover theam whith more towel keep theam damp and warm and they should sprout in a week to ten days paul

thanks for the info, Paul..... I've got some in damp paper towels as we speak.. :)

I know its been a long while...but just wanted to show off my seedlings that I germinated from seed... Gee, I feel like a proud parent.. lol.. :)

Congrats! It's so rewarding!

They look good now dont transplant yet wait about 4 more weeks . how cold does it get there in the winter? Regards Paul

Paul...it does get down to about 23 or so...in the winter...with ice...so I'll definitely be repotting these little guys into larger pots to winter over here....I still can't seem to find anyone who lives in the SA area who can tell me if they freeze back or not...so even in the Spring time...I'm leary about putting them in the ground.. ?

Thanks aprilwillis, it definitely IS rewarding...just watching my little babies grow, lol.. :)

Did you dmail htop about how they do in SA?

I can't speak for its overall hardiness in your zone, but since they're still small I would definitely keep them inside or in a greenhouse in pots for this winter, even if it's one of the Bauhinia's that'll make it in zone 8, zone 8 would be the bottom end of the hardiness range so baby plants would have a tough time outdoors this year.

If you have a gas oven with pilot light set in oven for a day or 2 , otherwise set on top of hot water heater for bottom heat .

yup 23 is to cold ive made a few trees small by niping the top as it grows >

I didn't think about DMailing htop....he definitely is knowledgeable about such things...perhaps I shall...thanks for the idea.. :)

Yep, I definitely plan on wintering the seedlings in pots...I'll just keep moving them to larger homes as they grow.. :)