Silk Floss Tree seeds

I was chatting with someone in the UK last summer about seeds for silk floss tree. It was late summer and they are only available in 'spring'. I have some now, but, I cannot find the thread or an email from the requestor. If entrance into heaven is based on filing skills I am doomed!

Hey wow what....
You have silk floss seeds! How many pints of my blood would you lke??? I can also offer kidneys and even my heart if needed!

I'm hoping it was me you where talking to as i keep bringing it up every now and again.

This is the Ceibia type Silkfloss tree isn't it? With fantastic flowers and spkes on the trunk?

Woooooo i'm excited now.

Mike

Yep, that be the one.

From:
Dale, The Gardener
2806 B East Clark
Tampa Fl 33605

TO:
Michael Frecklington
20 Church Lane, Reepham
Lincoln, LN3 4DQ

Yes?

Oh, blood and guts are not necessary, first born child is a more traditional offering. Then we negotiate

No problem, I have just changed his nappy so hes not so smelly! lol

Seriously though, what can i offer for this most wanted plant?

Think i need to move to florida, 2 of my most wanted plants seem to live there. Phicks sent me the other last year (nelumbo). I had one accident but luckily the other seed is doing really well!.

Don't forget i'm "United Kingdom"

Speak soon

Mike

snail mail sent today, about 7 hours ago. 5-7 days to arrival.

I will think of something devious for you to do later in life. Cost me about US2.50 to send. My beer costs more than that.

Now devious i like the sound of... heheh.

I think i may pass out if they make it! I'll be like a kid in a sweet shop..

Next question though any idea how to grow these boys? I'm guessing some kind of technical germination and thats why there like rocking horse droppings.

Dale are you they guy that has the really nice garden you posted pics of last year? Possibly an organge tree in your front garden and some urn type pots outside?

Mike

Dale just been looking through your trade list trying to find something i can send you in return,
I did have Iochroma (mini angels trumpet) Blue
Well i say i did.... i still do but there in a pot in the electric propagator. Did you still want some? I'll look to see if i have any seed at work if you want some.

Mike

Seeds for Iochroma (mini angels trumpet) Blue would be nice. I am in the address exchange.

Silk Floss seed use the wind to disperse. I would think that they have no special requirements to germinate, except they like it warm? I have found that if you know the climate of origin, the season they shed their seed then you can guess what conditions are best for germination. I have never seen this tree reseed itself here. I would guess that means the seed is not fertile or temps are not right for it.

Mike, I don't have real nice gardens, I work in some real nice gardens-I am a gardener by trade. www.dalethegardener.com

Here's one now....

I wonder if it was pictures of one of your projects you posted.
I wanted to do gardening when i left school but the trade has such massive fluctuations i decided to do something a bit more year round. So now i run a garden centre.
www.crowders.co.uk
I'll check work tommorow for those seeds and let you know. The ones i allready sowed have leaves so i think there past sending.

Is there anything else not on you wants list, that you fancy?

Mike

I can't think of anything that I need.

Do you need anything else of a tropical nature? I am very adept at getting rare plants (seeds too). I figure if I build up enough 'credit' I can ask you to do something devious like send a slip of agapanthus stolen from Kew. :-)

Hey if i lived anywhere near Kew i would no problem at all. The uk is a small place but thats still a long way from here.
There is someone that lives nearer there "Laurie" .
Do you know which variety of Agapanthus it is youre after, or is it just because its from Kew?

This is the last of my plants to find list

Chorisia speciosa (Ceiba speciosa) silk floss tree, ceiba del Brasil, kapok
Romneya coulteri tree poppy
Sophora Japanese pagoda tree
Sollya hetrophylla

And the last 3 on there are easy enough to get from work, just havn't seen them recently.

Once i have a Silk floss i can happily die! heheh

I forgot to check those seeds at work today (wasn't anywhere near the seed section) but i will!

Mike

I visited Kew and was sorely impressed.

I just wish they had plant sales, just so I could say that 'This plant is from Kew Gardens'. Status symbol plant. Also, agapanthus was the only plant growing there that I know would live here. And I was being frivolous. I need to learn to use the 'LOL'.

I checked mapquest and in central Lincoln you are 145 miles from the gate at Kew and most of the trip is on the A1(M). I always took the trains when I was in London.

The plants you are seeking (above) are all West Coast-California plants. I only have low elevation (read hot & humid) plants. The seeds you want are from maritime climates that have cool temps most of the year. When you think of FL plants think Brazilian rainforest.
We have 7 months where are night time lows are around 23C. The only seeds I have that might produce an interesting plant are the Cassia, they grow and bloom in containers quite well.

I am not concerned about getting anything in return, ever. I am hoping that you are getting fertile seed and that it will sprout for you. I would like to know how they turn out, that's all.

Bromileads are widely used in the landscape here....

Resin, what is umber? I get the North and the Land, but....

You weather sounds like San Francisco CA.

Philodendron I use as a groundcover...

Ahh, English is such an interesting language....

Dale, I'm guessing Resin has a fantastic accent too, if you like English language!

The trip to Kew you are probably right, its kind of relative i suppose. Small country so it seems like a long way. Its easier and quicker (and cheaper) for me to fly to most of Europe than it is to get to London.

I do like tropical gardens in a none tropical country. Winter is a real pain though. But with low rain it could be worse!

I have recently got cassia seeds and germinated them they are about 2 weeks ahead of the Mini angels trumpets.

Cheers

Mike

Hey Dale,

Now that confused me! A poster! lol

That is a first.

I took me a while to find something long enough to poke the fibres out of the tube.
I've not really had chance to explore the floss to find the seed yet though (waiting for a day when the baby isn't trying to eat everything)

I'll let you know how it goes and grows!

Speak soon

And thanks loads

Mike

Mike, I was working a couple doors down from the tree today and I went around picking up floss until I had found about 25 seeds.

I had the camera with me so...

It is a big tree.

Wow That is a big old tree!

I'm off this weekend (thankgod!) so i'll be sorting out my seeds etc. I'll be looking through all that floss then.

Those are the seeds in that pic as far as i have read. But i can't find anything about them being viable or not all the time.
Infact there is not much about them on the tinternet.

Here's some info on a closely related species (C. pentandra):

http://www.sl.kvl.dk/upload/ceiba_pentandra_int_001.pdf (pdf file)

Resin

Resin, that was a great document, short and to the point, written for everyone to understand. I think I will try a sprout a few of the seeds I collected. The tree is still dropping seed.

The way the seed moves around in the wind is very interesting to see. The seed is held suspended in the center of a big round ball of very light fibers. You can see right thru the 'ball', it is almost transparent. They roll across the turf in a modest breeze, very effective way to travel.

eye candy>

Mike,

Since you deal with seeds on a regular basis, especially ones that most folks would consider 'rare' I am wondering if you have any research tips for me. I am trying to find out how to grow Lupinus diffusus from seed. It is a uncommon native from the SE section of the USA. I suspect that it germinates at cool temps. We don't have much rain here in the fall/winter season in central FL, which may explain why I have only found one colony and most of the plants look to be the same age. We have very few years when the fall is wet. Further north the rain is more consistent and this plant is more common.

I find Plant Piles to be very little help.

I have been checking on this group of plants every 10 days for 2 months to make sure I get some of the seed, the plants are 70 miles to the SE of my home, so it was a very lenghty process. It paid off this last Sunday and I am now the proud owner of several hundred drying seed pods. I will have at least a 1,000 seeds (or trade beads as I like to call them). If you are interested I can send some.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2746/index.html

http://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/norcini/Publications/JEH02-46ForWeb.pdf

"Seed scarified in concentrated sulfuric acid for 90 min followed by immersion in water for 24 hr resulted in the
best emergence of viable seed (≈ 41%). Mechanical scarification with sandpaper for up to 30 min
did not improve seedling emergence. Immersing seed in 90C (194F) water which was then
allowed to cool for 24 hr apparently killed or severely injured the embryos as no seedlings
emerged from seeds treated with hot water. There was only 5% seedling emergence for
nonscarified seed that were soaked in water at room temperature for 24 hr. Emergence was not
improved by soaking scarified seed in 1000 mg/liter (ppm) GA3 for 24 hr prior to sowing the seeds"

Got to hand it to her she knows where to find stuff on the internet.

I have never used any kinds of acid or anything,
As far as Lupins go i only have a couple of the less common ones, plus some common as muck.
Lupin band of nobles mixed Sow feb to june or sept to oct at 15-20c cover lightly takes 18-21 days.
Lupin gallery blue Sow feb to june or sept to oct at 15-20c cover lightly takes 18-21 days.
Lupin gallery pink Sow feb to june or sept to oct at 15-20c cover lightly takes 18-21 days.
Lupinus arboreus plummy blue Sow in autumn fresh seed leave out in all weather cover with sand takes 2-3 weeks.
Lupinus texensis Sow in autumn in a cold frame.

Also this fella who looks promising so far (not a real Lupin but worth a dabble)

Thermopsis lupinoides Sow in autumn or spring cover lightly use a cold greenhouse.

If you manage to get some growing i would love to try those seeds if you have some to spare after getting the plants you need.
If you do then i could send some to Janet as she s just down the road from me if thats acceptable?

Have fun

Mike

Janet and MIke,

I will have plenty of seed to spare and this plant is hardy to Z6, that should include most of the UK. And from Paris south. It is a rabbit ear leaf ground cover. If I do have success with it I will make sure it doesn't set much seed. The plants I got these from are looking badly using all their resources on seed. We are having a drought, 1" of rain in the last 4 months, it is dry-deep.

Janet, I have GA-3 (gibberellic acid) in the fridge. I use it on some of those pesky S.African seeds that I get fresh, it really helps break domancy in some, especially the bulbs. I was thinking of trying it, not now however. Now, where does one find concentrated sulfuric acid? Not at the local grocery.

I am going to get a few to go for me.

I have also been crossing specie and hybrid amayllis. Willy Nilly with the pollen and no record keeping. I am working with one of the forces of nature, but, can't make up my mind if it is choas or anarchy?

I think I have enough lupins thanks Dale, no room for those!

I have a blue/white and a red Lulu which has set to make a purple. Several seedlings this year but I don't want them all!

Also a self set soft bluish colour which appears to be a tree lupin from who knows where.

If you know someone who works in a laboratory they should have concentrated sulphuric acid (a school). OR make your own!

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/parade/rbd41/sa.htm

Dearest Wallaby,

You are the mad scientist I have heard about, your information is quite 'charming'. I think I'll just steal one of my neighbor's car batteries in the wee hours.

Was that too difficult? We didn't think of battery acid did we! Good idea!

Years ago the Auto Parts stores sold acid to put in you battery, I wonder if it is still available? Time to do a local web search.

Janet you worry me with what you find on the internet. Next it will be bomb making equipment! lol
Good luck with the acid. We used to use acid of some kind for putting in the water when watering plants. Can;t for the life of me remember what type it was. I know it used to make a real mess of your clothes even when you didn't think you'd splashed.

Mike

Mike, I already know where the bomb making sites are, they have been around for years. It is the seed germination info I can never seem to find.

Heheh good answer.

Heyyy wooooo hooooo, I have ceibia seeds! Now all i have to do is get them to grow...... any ideas anyone?

Speak soon

Mike

Here is the method, thanks to Resin.

http://www.sl.kvl.dk/upload/ceiba_pentandra_int_001.pdf

Hey Cheers loads,

Now i thought i'd surprise you with sending those mini angles trumpet seed (Acnistus) but i'm struggling to find a site in the Uk or the Us! Do you know anywhere that sells them?
Not that its a surprise now though!

Mike