Chinese dogwood, Cornus Kousa "Big Apple'

I have a supply of Cornus kousa "Big Apple" seed for SASBE. Please read carefully

The fruit of C kousa are large (1"+) and red, with a spiky appearance. The tree is very decorative with large white "blossums" in the spring followed by large red fruit in the fall. The fruit is also edible. "Big Apple" is the large fruited (to 2", but mine stay smaller than that so far ) variety frequently marketed for edible landscaping. The taste of the fruit is sweet and delicious, once you get past the tough, mealy outer skin.

Seeds are very hard and about 1/4". If anybody is interested, I'll supply about a dozen seeds for a SASBE. I have not tested germination, seeds will likely require 2-3 month stratification in the fridge, then probably need to crack or file through the hard seed coat before planting.

If interested, please post your interest here and I'll d-mail you my address. I have enough seed for about 4 people but will divide seed among interested people if there are not four responding.

This one will likely be a challenge but this is a beautiful, productive and tasty plant.

Do you think it will grow in my zone? I would be interested in giving it a try.
Bonnie

After how many years it's flowering/giving fruit? I read that you need at least 2 to have pollination.

I would really love to have some of your seeds. I had a kousa in the 70's..for 17 years...never knew you could eat the fruit..but it was so beautiful that I frequently think of it. It was teeny tiny when I planted it. How wonderful is the invention of the computer with its ability to find info for one.
I can send a SASBE as the only fruit seeds I have is from a Sambucus and it is a hybrid so I guess it won't come true..and I don't know if its fruit would be edable anyway...but if you wanted to try them I could send some for a trade. They are still on the plant. Please let me know. gammy

Jonna, The tree is slow growing, but flowers and fruits early. I believe it is self-fertile as there are no identifiable kousa's in my immediate area. Some sources also report it being self fertile.

Gammy, most elderberries are used for jelly and not fresh eating. Thanks for your offer, but I have no space available at this time for them.

Bonnie, I just do not know. Do other dogwoods grow OK there?

I would like to receive some seeds. I'm living in Europe, so I can't send you SASBE, the Belgium stamps are useless in the US. Maybe you can find something in my have list so we can trade.

Jonna

Yes we have dogwoods that grow wild in some areas of the woods.

May I try these also? Are 2 or 3 stamps on a SASBE enoungh now? It's been awhile :-) Thanks, Andrea

Here's what I found about this plants http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/shrubs/Cornus_kousaBigApple.html
If this is true, I'd love to add this Cornus to my garden. I already have Cornus alternifolia that seems to like it as it seeds profusely :)

Sounds like you are about out of seeds but I would love to try some if you get any extra ones, don't divide them just want to throw my hat in there so to speak lol I have a Cornus kousa that's only about the same height that we have had for about 20 years that's an understory tree but ours grows in the sun, would you be interested in trading seeds? Mine is white also, it's just beginning to put seeds out, my fruit is smaller so they are different, I WS them and the germinate good, they don't come up until about the middle of the summer.

Hi enya :) So it does sound like you need two trees for it to have fruit :)

Lea

I did check out enya's reference, but have a couple of issues with it. First, the fruit, when ripe, are soft. Secondly, I have looked and cannot find a pollinator for my tree. I have also seen references that this variety is self fertile and it appears that is the case for me. I did not want to comment prior, b/c I am far from expert. Bug, I do not have space for another C. kousa, but thanks for the offer. Lastly, there are more than 2 seeds in the larger, better fruit. I am still collecting seeds as the fruit ripen here, so may end up with more than originally anticipated.

Self-polinating is always a plus. Thank you for checking this.
Being north of you, I was more concerned with the hardiness.

Look what I found at Google books - 'Dogwoods'. Browsing it
for more info on kousas. I love Google for this service.

Edited to put the link in, sorry:
http://books.google.com/books?id=tOQaF5UHFT4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=dogwoods&sig=ACfU3U3T9YgkKbJxdxVaSppvMN1RbvaXNw#PPA6,M1

This message was edited Sep 27, 2008 7:01 PM

WOW, my dogwood tree seeds only have one seed in them and they are almost a half inch long, your seeds are alot different :) I'll keep my fingers crossed for more seeds Krowten, thanks, just let me know and I'll send a SASBE :)

Lea

Unless I have missed something, I have not received any SASBE's from anyone. Please d-mail me if you are/are not still interested so that I can send some seed to Lea if you have dropped out.

I can't send SASBE, because I live in Belgium. If you want to trade, I'm still in.
Jonna

I have not received your address,

Gammy, You have d-mail

Sorry, I did not know if I was on the list of those that could do so. I am sending it with tomorrow's mail.

I sent mine out on Monday. I should have posted or D-mailed you, sorry. Andrea

Dontcha just love DG'ers who share seeds! My DH and I stayed at a little hotel in Honeybrook, PA, The Waynesbrook Inn, this past weekend that has a small garden with three of these Cornus Kousa. They were beautiful with their little "red apples" and foliage turning red. I brought home a few of the fruits and am going to try my hand at germinating them. I'm also going to purchase a small tree locally while I'm waiting for my seeds to grow.

Pam,

Taste them! If the fruit is soft, it is ripe, break the skin and sample the mush inside - watch out for the hard seeds, you could break a tooth. The outer skin and stuff just underneath it is not really edible, but the fruit interior is delicious.

Hmmm. As soon as DH returns with the car I'm going to get them out of the middle console and give them a try. They've only been there a couple of days so should be fine. I've been a taster of found plants from way back, probably times when I shouldn't have. The trees are so lovely. I hope I can find a pair locally. How many specimens do you have, Krowten? I'm also hoping to find another Cornus that I think is called silver bells. It has deep blue fruits on it. I saw it at Bellemeade(?) that beautiful garden and arboretum in Nashville? I've not seen either of these trees in flower, but it must be quite a site from the pictures. Pam

I am just growing kousa and C. mas, the Cornelian cherry - also edible fruit

Krowten, I wanted to let you know that I got your seeds. Thankyou so much for sharing with me! It will be fun to try to grow :-) Thanks again and take care, Andrea

I'm glad you got them OK. Please let me know how the germination goes. If necessary I can send more next year.

Thank you! I will :-) I left you feedback for your generous offer too ;-) Andrea

krowten, The mail lady picked my SABE up Monday so you should be getting mine today or tomorrow, I put it out there Sat. but she must have already been by and didn't pick it up then, looking forward to these :)

Bug, I shipped your seed out yesterday - same day the SASBE arrived. You should receive it Sat or Monday.

Thanks Krowten, really apprecitate those seeds, I'll leave good feedback for you :) I'll let you know when they get here.

I got your seeds, thanks for being so generous, I sure hope I get at least one tree out of them :)

Lea

Krowten, Here I am again. By the time DH returned from the farmer's market or wherever, I completely forgot the seeds left in the car, so I just sent him out to get them. They have dried out over the past two weeks and are like stones and about 1/3 the size they were when freshly picked (3 pods). They certainly appear to be viable. Too bad I won't get to taste them. What should I do with them now? Should I put each whole seed pod in a pot and sink the pot outdoors? I would really like to try germinating them because I had good luck with all kinds of seeds in 2007-08 fall and winter sowing. TY Pam

Hi krowten I have received your generous supply of seeds, I sure ought to get some sprouts out of that many. Thank you so much for sharing. If I am successful I'll revive this thread with a picture of my seedlings. wish me luck. gammy3

Pam (and everybody), I have not tried to start these seed myself. However, your method of planting the seeds in a pot and sinking it into the ground should work. For myself, I would put in moistened peat or vermiculite in the fridge for several months, then use a file or dremel to cut through (nick) the hard seed coat, then plant. I would try some without the nick and some with. This advice comes to me from a friend that has successfully started other dogwood seeds. Also, keep in mind that some dogwood seeds need 2 years to start!

Please let us know how you make out and the method you use.

Also, one concern is that if you plant outside, you may want to protect from mice and other seed eating varmints.

I plant my dogwood seeds in a milk jug like WS and it works out great, mine usually come up about the middle of summer, of course this is a different tree but that's the way I'm planting mine :) Kroten are these understory trees? Would they be able to grow in the sun do you think, I'm going to have to look these up, they must be large seeds to have two or more of these in one lol

I have heard that these like full sun. Bug, are your milk jugs plastic? Are they closed?

Krowten, you cut the milk jugs about four inches from the bottom all around, add at least four inches of dirt, plant your seeds, I leave my jugs out in the rain one day and plant the next, take du ck tape and seal the jugs all around and oh, po ke a couple of holes around the top and about 20 holes in the bottom for drainage, leave the cap off and sit it outside to germinate, I still have some tree seeds out there from last year like chestnut and paper bark, I grew some cypress pines last year that way. I also sow my perennials and some annuals that way, we have a forum for WS, you shoud check it out, it's pretty interesting. When the sun starts to warm the jugs up too much just take the tape and top of the jug off you can put it back on in the evenings if you want to it keeps the birds and critters out. My milk jugs are the whitish clear plastic so the light can get thru, I don't use the solid white ones.

That's right I think I read you like to grow tree seeds like me only you want to know the parent plants lol I just grow the trees :) If you have any questions you can dmail me anytime.

Check this article out by Critter, you'll find a lot of good information about WS in there :) It works with trees, I forgot to mention with trees and shrubs I use the half gal. jugs and cut them at the bottom of the handle that gives the roots more room, I feel like it does anyway :)

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/585/

kroten and Bugg, What a great idea. I had forgotten the article by Jill. It's a perfect way to get a critter proof (hopefully) planter and to know where the little tree is when it comes up. I'm gonna do it. If I leave those seeds in the frig, they'll probably never see the light of day again. Let them get their stratification or whatever it's called out in the combo VA clay mixed with amendments in the DIY greenhouse carton. How simply elegant.

Pamgarden, I wouldn't use regular dirt, I use the soiless mix, if that was what you are talking about :) If your dirt is clay like mine, it gets so hard.