Xanthoceras sorbifolium

Interesting little tree, absolutely covered in yellow and red-throated white flowers. Not exactly a Stewartia the rest of the year, but not bad either.

Kevin, why is mine looking like it's going away? It's still in the pot, protected from critters and watered. Not left out when they called for freezing temps at nights. What's wrong with it? How long do I wait before I can plant the spice bush?

Terry

P.S. You have d-mail.

Terry--no idea--I had two left after I gave you one. One is withering away like you describe, the other is covered in leaves. Plant those spice bush anytime. I put a whole bunch out already.

So you gave me a bad one? Or you're saving the good one for me? Both?

Kevin, is yours in full sun? Mine is shaded most of the day and showing no sign of blooming. While it was still real small, and in a pot in the cold frame, it had one cluster. ( It is only about 4' tall now.) I am afraid to move it fo fear I will kill it. I read they don't take to transplanting . No way that I can get more sun to it with out removing some tall trees and my DH's shop ! :-(

Kevin,

How big is this supposed to get?

Scott

Terry--all spoken for now. Maybe it will make seed again this year.

Marian---Yep--full sun. This one too is probably only 4' tall. As for moving it, I wonder if their "transplant difficulty" is overrated. When I was planting this one, it was B&B, and as I ordinarily do, I removed all burlap, wire etc. before planting. The ball completely fell apart. It essentially was barerooted. It never blinked.

Scott--20' or so--Dirr says upright. Pictures I have seen look large shrub-ish, kinda like Chionanthus.

Very nice Kevin.

You mean I get no guarantee??? Well I never.......I know where you live and I've got my shovel and my flashlight. You're in bed now, right??

DirtyR, remind me when you get here and maybe I can find one for you to take home if I have one left. That is, if you're reallllly nice to me!

Guy S.

Now Mr Wonderful, doesn't that work both ways?? I mean, if I'm nice to you, doesn't it just make sense for you to be nice to me also? Grandma always said rudeness begets rudeness

Children, Children! Behave yourselves.....:-0

Back to the tree at hand, I have a serious question for Kevin. Do you have two seed grown trees to cross pollenate to get seed? Mine blooms the bejesus off every year, but never sets seed. I only have one.

And to be a bit more explicative, flower centers are first yellow and age to pinky-red centers. When all stages of flower development are present, it really does look like a popcorn tree. I have found it to be susceptible to a vascular wilt. What kind I don't know, but this wilt does affect maples and lilac in my yard also. I thought I lost the 10 foot tree two years ago, but it came back from the base. And I had root sprouts coming up all over last year. A very precocious tree too.

Rick

Rick:

Good question. I had one at my old house, 5 years of blooming its head off, no seeds ever. This one I planted last summer at the new house, came from a nursery with many of them, and had one seed pod with exactly 11 seeds inside. Perhaps you are onto something with the cross pollination. Sounds like you have a little verticillium running around your yard. I thankfully left that at my old house. It came in on a Ginkgo, and spread out like a blast zone from there.

I suspect it is verticillium as that is rather common here, and my neighbor's sugar maple has been battling probably that for years.

Now you've sparked another q: Seeds of Xanthoceras sorbifolia are supposed to be edible, and I just assumed it would be one "big" nut-kind of a thing. But you say a pod with many seeds. How big are these seeds? And might you remember what kind of a shell was pressent-hard/soft, thick/thin? Or would you imagine you eat them whole?

My memory is foggy(as usual), but I recall a capsule holding the seeds, which were almost mini-Kentucky Coffeetree seeds--about half that size. I didn't once think of eating them, till now. Ever seen the Calycanthus fruit--pod plus seeds rattling around inside? I think thats what is was like. Maybe I will get another chance this year.

Yes, I have many Calycanthus floridulus bags each year. Thanks.