Hi,
I know this forum isn't for seeds, but I have dwarf poinciana seeds to give away and wanted to let everyone know. It is such a gorgeous tree/shrub and absolutely tropical. Please link over to seed trading if you'd like to try some.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/559485/#new
Leslie
That's a great picture, Leslie.
That is gorgeous Leslie!! How big does the dwarf variety grow (how much space does it take up) and is it a tree or a shrub? Thanks, Karen
Thanks, Leslie, I would love some seeds and will send sase today.
everybody, PF says I can direct sow. I would be interested in doing that. Can I dow it right now? or do I need to wait til spring. If waiting, what is best way to store seeds?
thanks Leslie and thanks to DGers that are always around to answer my endless questions.
Karen,
I've got seeds set out for you and will give them to you next week.
From what I've read they get about 10-15 feet, but you can prune them to be almost any size and shape you want.
Leslie
Vossner--you might want to research the seed germination method before you plant them. I just ordered some C. pulcherrima seeds from an online source and their instructions say to soak in warm water for 48h before planting. Since soaking in warm water isn't an option in PF whoever entered the plant couldn't have put that in even if it was required. However, on other plants I've seen different seed vendors give different instructions for the same seeds, so I don't necessarily know that these guys were correct.
I've sown these seeds before, and I would highly recommend waiting until spring. They germinate very well after soaking, as Ecrane said, and in warm weather and warm soil; however, they are extremely cold sensitive when young and very hard to keep happy inside because they need lots of humidity. My seedlings of C. pulcherrima grew very well in the spring and summer, albeit slowly, but died in the winter outside, and I have very mild winters here. I know of others who brought their seedlings inside only to have them die as well. A warm, humid greenhouse is ideal for young seedlings in winter if you can manage it. Now, this applies only to C. pulcherrima. C. mexicana and C. gilliesi sprout very well and are easier to please in the winter. The C. mexicana plants that I grew from seed all survived the winter here and are doing very well. They do take two to three years to flower from seeds so be prepared for that. I've seen the pink and red ones on eBay, and they are very pretty. Here is a C. pulcherrima plant below that I purchased from Home Depot. I imagine that this plant is several years old. The C. pucherrima can get to 6-7 feet, but the C. gilliesi gets to be twice that. My C. mexicana plants are only about 5 feet tall after about three years.
thanks everybody. I will wait. If they are so delicate, I guess I better plan to grow it in a pot for 1-2 years, then transplant inground.
Leslie, the saseb is on it's way - thanks SO MUCH! Jo McFall
Vossner, I'm not sure how it'll do planted in the ground in your zone. I know PF says it's hardy into zone 8, but that hasn't been my experience. I'm in zone 9b and had one that I planted in spring 2004 (not a seedling like Clare mentioned but a pretty large plant that came in a 5 gal pot, about 2-3 ft tall). It basically died to the ground over the winter, then in June after I had given up hope that it would come back (but before I'd gotten around to pulling the remains out of the garden), I noticed some new growth with a few leaves. So it survived, but now it's less than 1 ft tall, and since it came back so slowly I don't think it would ever get to the point of blooming if I left it in the garden. So now it lives in a pot on my protected patio. I also have C. mexicana planted in my garden and it appears much more robust--no damage from the winter and bloomed great this year.
