cassia leptophylla

I am hoping someone here on this forum may be able to help me...I have been searching for seeds of this one(had tried seed exchange forums too) and have finally managed to find a supplier here in your state who can supply me with 10seeds at a reasonable price...thats the really exciting part....but they want to charge $4.50 for postage on this amount of seeds...would anyone here know of any other supplier of these seeds who would be more reasonable on postage....I am very happy to pay for the seeds .. but was hoping for a more reasonable postage price.Please Dmail me if you can help,any info would be gratefully appreciated....Thanks

Is that $4.50 US? I have no idea how our currency relates to yours, but if it's US dollars then I don't think $4.50 really that bad of a price to mail something from US to Australia. I'm honestly not sure you're going to find anything much cheaper than that, our postal rates went up a couple of times recently and seems like sending stuff international is always more expensive than it seems like it should be. I've bought seeds before from someone in Chile and it was $3 for shipping those. And for me to get things from Silverhill Seeds in South Africa, shipping is 10% of your order, with a minimum of $3.50, so given our recent postal increases, $4.50 doesn't sound that ridiculous. You may be able to make it more cost effective if you order more packets of seeds, some places I've ordered from there's a base rate that you have to pay for shipping, but often you can get a bunch of seed packets before the price goes up any more.

Out of all the places I've looked for seeds, I only remember running across Cassia leptophylla once (sorry, don't remember where but it's most likely the same place you found). There are some other types of Cassias that are pretty widely available, but not that particular species so unless you find someone here who has some to trade I think you're probably stuck with that amt for shipping.

Thanks ecrane,yes US $4.50,I guess my main concern was not knowing what the germination rate on this one is ...I didn't want to take the risk...and then lose out...I appreciate the info .cheers

I've had trouble getting Cassias in general to germinate, I generally have decent luck with trees, but these I've had trouble with. Haven't tried C. leptophylla specifically, but I've tried a number of other species and haven't gotten anything to germinate. None of them came with good instructions for germination though, so I did my default approach of soak the seeds overnight and stick the trays with the seeds on heat mats under lights. Maybe they prefer no soaking, dark or cool? So it's definitely a risk, but if you want to give them a try I don't think you'll find shipping that's too terribly much cheaper.

I poured hot water over my cassia bicapsularis seeds and let them soak overnight and got about 30% germination (about 30 out of 100 seeds sown). I haven't tried them without the hot water treatment or checked the possibility of other treatments.
edited to add that one person told me recently that she gets so many volunteer seedlings that they're a nuisance. However my 2 cassias that have been here the longest, at least 12 years, have given me 2 seedlings, so possibly she waters hers more than I do.

This message was edited Jul 11, 2007 7:56 PM

OK, that leaves the lights or the heat mat as the source of the problem then (or maybe the problem is just me, that could be too! LOL)

Funny I should find this thread today. I was at a party Sunday and the hostess had the most beautiful cassia. I think from perusing the web that it is a Cassia leptophylla. Think so?

She had planted the tree from a seed 15 years ago and it was quite big and very beautiful. Huge pompoms of bright yellow flowers. We all made her promise to save us seeds. It was truly a joy to look at.

That looks like it to me. I have a baby one but it's too small to bloom yet but I can't wait for it to get big enough!

I'm not sure if that's it because I'm not knowledgeable enough about all of the different cassias, but the first Gold Medallion tree that I saw was at the L.A. County Arboretum years ago and it was a beauty. I can't imagine why I don't see more of them and I would think there would be quite a few DG'ers with that particular one and seed.

They're actually rather hard to find, I saw some pics of one last year and fell in love and had to have it, I searched forever and ever, and finally found a place in Fallbrook (one of your neighbors maybe?) that had them, so when I was in San Diego in December last year I stopped there and got myself one. Could be there are other nurseries down your way that have them, but there was only that one that had an online inventory so I knew what they had. I'm not sure why they're so hard to find, they're so pretty I can't imagine why they're not more popular.

After I just posted this about how hard they were to find, I saw them on Top Tropicals website this morning. They definitely didn't have them last year when I was looking for them though! Of course they're 3 gallon plants which would cost an arm and a leg to ship, I got my little one in a 1 gallon pot for I think about $5 at the place in Fallbrook, can't beat that for price!

Well shoot Liz, you are making it too easy. I am surprised it likes in it wintertime Dublin. I thought it was a So Ca tree.

Well, it likes wintertime in Dublin inside my greenhouse! It was one of those plants that would be a bit borderline here and since it was still pretty small and in a container I put it in the greenhouse. I had originally thought of planting it in the garden and protecting it for a few years until it got established. From what I've read, young trees would probably not make it through the winter here without protection, but once they're established they should (unless we keep having winters like last winter!). After last winter though I'm thinking of keeping it in a container permanently and putting it in the GH for the winter

Let's see, Liz...as I seem to remember didn't you stop at Bentley Tropicals here in Fallbrook? Was that who had the leptos? Funny, I've never gone there. Every third property here is a nursery.

Yes, that's where I got it--you should definitely check them out sometime, the prices were really great and they've got a lot of cool stuff. My only complaint was that most of the plants weren't labelled, so the best way to shop there is to look at their online availability list first, then you can have them show you where the things are that you want. I just got that one plant because I had to leave room in the car for myself, my dog, and all my luggage, but if I'd had more room I'm sure I would have left with a lot more!

After posting I just received an e-mail from a wonderful person in Florida who's sending me a great packet of seeds including some cassias/ sennas...went back to take a second look at what she's sending in hopes that there might be leptos included, but no. Perhaps I should be growing some, hmmmmm. Since I've been growing bicapsularis and now will have seed for some other varieties I may do this. I'm so focused on the cassias right now that those are the only things I'll let myself buy....well, there were just those few things from Annie's (smile). If I just go nursery hopping in general...herein lies madness....I bring home things that I have no place for so I'm finally trying to be more restrained and disciplined.
Liz, no promises 'cause I'm not positive I'll make it, but I'm thinking of making it to the Moraga RU and if so could bring stuff with me. If Bentley's has anything on their list you want, I could get it and bring it/ them up for you. (P.S. My Cherokee will hold 42 1-gal pots with the back seat down). I can't get away now with all that I'm doing with propagating and watering so I can't get up to see my Dad in Modesto, but had thought to be able to get up there in October and like to go then before Tioga Pass closes for winter so I can take the back route that I love so much and well, Yosemite in October....
Sherry

Thanks Sherry, that would be great! Let me know if you do com and I'll see if they have anything I want. Also, if you do come up and need somewhere to stay, I've got a nice guest room (can't manage kids or pets though, just adult humans!) I guess you'd probably stay with your Dad in Modesto, but if you wanted somewhere a little closer to Moraga right before/after the roundup let me know. I'm still not 100% sure I'll be around for the Roundup, there's a conference that I may have to go to that's right around that time and I'm not sure if I might be travelling that day, hopefully not!

Thanks for the offer, Liz. I'll be staying in Modesto and there are old friends in Brentwood also. I can never stay away from home for very long...too many things going on right now.

Kell,why don't you post those pics in the plant files....they are so lovely...