Orange Geiger - Cordia sebestena

[Austinpalm]

Was reading the thread in free seeds about this species. I have trialed this species with seeds collected from Belize and the Yucatan. They will germinate but the seedling have also always died if exposed to 40 - 45F or cooler as was mentioned. Am curious if anyone has ever hybridized this with the Texas wild olive (C. boissieri) to get a more cold hardy version with the nice orange flowers? C. boissieri survives into the mid-teens here in Austin.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Austinpalm

[Silas_Sancona]

3 hours ago, Austinpalm said:

Was reading the thread in free seeds about this species. I have trialed this species with seeds collected from Belize and the Yucatan. They will germinate but the seedling have also always died if exposed to 40 - 45F or cooler as was mentioned. Am curious if anyone has ever hybridized this with the Texas wild olive (C. boissieri) to get a more cold hardy version with the nice orange flowers? C. boissieri survives into the mid-teens here in Austin.

Not yet but my largest Orange Geiger seedlings should flower soon. While only 3' tall atm, my Tx Olive flowers all the time.. Will be interesting to see how the two cross.

[EdInSanDiego]

I had ordered this plant from a mail-order nursery last summer, but it died this winter, and the coldest temperature it saw was 40 degrees a couple of nights. Its death surprised me; plants that I thought far more tropical, such as aphelandra sinclairiana, survived without issue.

[Cindy Adair]

This Cordia is a common small tree planted around parking lots and other public areas in PR. Thes"re are several around the Rincón lighthouse. I like the bright orange flowers and plentiful white "acorns".  

I can germinate the seeds, but my seedlings haven't done well in the past. My guess based on where they grow well is too much water and not enough sun.

However I will actually plant more seed today as "nothing ventured, nothing gained".

 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Cindy Adair said:

This Cordia is a common small tree planted around parking lots and other public areas in PR. Thes"re are several around the Rincón lighthouse. I like the bright orange flowers and plentiful white "acorns".  

I can germinate the seeds, but my seedlings haven't done well in the past. My guess based on where they grow well is too much water and not enough sun.

However I will actually plant more seed today as "nothing ventured, nothing gained".

 

Id have to agree with Cindy, Start them in Full sun and keep lightly watered.. all my seedlings of this species were started in a pot left in full sun and get soaked once a week or so, especially when it is cooler.. Really didn't expect them to survive as long as they have since i usually wait to see them starting to wilt a bit before soaking, and have root-pruned several times when id find the bigger seedlings trying to anchor themselves into the ground.

Whats weird is there is also a Cyphophoenix elegans in the same pot that hasn't blinked with all the competition surrounding it, or, the watering schedule. Actually seems happier with some company.

[The Silent Seed]

On one of my Florida trips, I found some fruit growing on a tree in a parking lot. I opened one up - there were no seeds inside ? The fruit was already white and apparently mature ? What did I miss? 

[Silas_Sancona]

6 hours ago, santoury said:

On one of my Florida trips, I found some fruit growing on a tree in a parking lot. I opened one up - there were no seeds inside ? The fruit was already white and apparently mature ? What did I miss? 

Fruit of many, if not all Cordia species has a white/whitish flesh surrounding a hard, tan-ish, tear-drop looking seed that has as many as 5 compartments inside. As the seed breaks apart, each of these Embryos can germinate. If you examine old seeds under a tree, you'll notice slivers missing from the main seed body. Each of those missing pieces was where each embryo was. Manzanita sp. ( Arctostaphylos species)  have a similar type of seed. I have germinated Cordia boissieri seed that was roughly a year past harvest.

[The Silent Seed]

That's just it - there was no "hard" anything inside the fruits I opened?

It was just the flesh. Is it one of those cases where some of the fruits are infertile, and others fertile? 

Edited February 28, 2016 by santoury

[Silas_Sancona]

5 minutes ago, santoury said:

That's just it - there was no "hard" anything inside the fruits I opened?

It was just the flesh. Is it one of those cases where some of the fruits are infertile, and others fertile? 

Possibly?.. Weird though. Can't recall ever finding any fruit like that on trees i have harvested off of. That or maybe the seed aborted but the flesh continued ripening. Interesting.

[The Silent Seed]

Interesting - it was in a parking lot - with maybe 1 or 2 others around it - maybe a lack of pollinators ?? 

[Silas_Sancona]

3 hours ago, santoury said:

Interesting - it was in a parking lot - with maybe 1 or 2 others around it - maybe a lack of pollinators ?? 

I wouldn't think that would be an issue. Theres an isolated specimen near the house that has been putting out seed lately. Might have to check it out to see if i have a similar experience as you had. I know for certain that single specimen Texas olive can/will/does produce tons of seed. A tree id collected from in Glendale AZ had so much fruit below it that i could have collected a small buckets worth and come back for more. 

[Bill H2DB]

On February 19, 2016 at 1:44:49 PM, Austinpalm said:

Was reading the thread in free seeds about this species. I have trialed this species with seeds collected from Belize and the Yucatan. They will germinate but the seedling have also always died if exposed to 40 - 45F or cooler as was mentioned. Am curious if anyone has ever hybridized this with the Texas wild olive (C. boissieri) to get a more cold hardy version with the nice orange flowers? C. boissieri survives into the mid-teens here in Austin.

     So.., do we have a Hybrid between the white and the orange Cordia ?

I have the Texas Wild Olive here in Daytona , and it has been a great tree for about 25 years. I'd love to have the South Florida Geiger as

well , but it is just too cold here.   A hybrid might make it though .