Sowing a few seeds

[happypalms]

I had the chance to purchase a few locally collected gausia seeds.so why not freshly harvested iam sure to get something germinate. A nice palm the maya cool tolerant as I have one in my garden that’s doing quite well. Should be fun palm to work with. 

[happypalms]

Just a few good licuala varieties in this batch. Definitely interesting species for sure, all you need is a bit of luck in the germination department and instant winners in any collection. Time will tell, not a lot to look at now but give them some time and they standout in any collection! 

[happypalms]

A couple of goodies in this batch of Mother Natures finest gifts! Or is it gifts of the gods either way there’s some real beauties to be had for future garden projects,  A true collectors edition!

 

 

 

 

 

[happypalms]

At it again with a fine batch of Colin Wilson’s finest seeds on offer from @palmtreesforpleasure. Time will tell how this little batch goes but will keep me busy for a day or two. 

[gyuseppe]

I will tell Colin if in the next few months he can send me some Caryota monostachya and Chamaedorea benzei seeds, Colin is very generous,This year too he sent me some seeds and 3 species are germinating!

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

I will tell Colin if in the next few months he can send me some Caryota monostachya and Chamaedorea benzei seeds, Colin is very generous,This year too he sent me some seeds and 3 species are germinating!

I was wondering if he sent you some benzei? I will say I know of four seeds coming your way! A very generous man Mr wilson.

[gyuseppe]

Richard, so far I've germinated these chamaedoreas:
woodsoniana
tepejilote
oblongata
costaricana hybrid
quetzalteca (a form of costaricana)
nationsiana
klotzschiana
microspadix
elegans
radicalis arborescent form
only 1 seifrizii

[happypalms]

18 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

Richard, so far I've germinated these chamaedoreas:
woodsoniana
tepejilote
oblongata
costaricana hybrid
quetzalteca (a form of costaricana)
nationsiana
klotzschiana
microspadix
elegans
radicalis arborescent form
only 1 seifrizii

All wonderful palms. Adscendens will go well in that collection. 

[Hillizard]

On 5/22/2025 at 11:11 AM, Hillizard said:

I finally got (what may well be my last?) RPS order... it was held up with months of phytosanitary 'folderol' and delay. The folks in Germany communicated the issues with me, but what was interesting is the package came from a domestic (Vermont) address? Regardless, in my location the Mauritia flexuosa seedlings will spend their lives as nice looking potted plants (or perhaps sent where they can grow outdoors?).  And with the Alloxylon flammeum, once they've got some woody growth I'll test them outside in my interior NorCal Zone 9 location. Now it's time to soak the seeds and reactivate the germination heating pad!😃

It's alive! At least at this point...

First sign of germination for one of the Mauritia seeds. They're in a sealed plastic container on soggy potting mix in a hot sunroom (i.e., Sacramento in the summer).  None of the Alloxylon seeds were viable, but I'm expecting another order from a different source than RPS; this next batch is from a seed seller in London.

[gyuseppe]

25 minutes ago, Hillizard said:

It's alive! At least at this point...

First sign of germination for one of the Mauritia seeds. They're in a sealed plastic container on soggy potting mix in a hot sunroom (i.e., Sacramento in the summer).  None of the Alloxylon seeds were viable, but I'm expecting another order from a different source than RPS; this next batch is from a seed seller in London.

And who is this London salesman of seeds?

[happypalms]

On 5/23/2025 at 4:11 AM, Hillizard said:

I finally got (what may well be my last?) RPS order... it was held up with months of phytosanitary 'folderol' and delay. The folks in Germany communicated the issues with me, but what was interesting is the package came from a domestic (Vermont) address? Regardless, in my location the Mauritia flexuosa seedlings will spend their lives as nice looking potted plants (or perhaps sent where they can grow outdoors?).  And with the Alloxylon flammeum, once they've got some woody growth I'll test them outside in my interior NorCal Zone 9 location. Now it's time to soak the seeds and reactivate the germination heating pad!😃

The alloxylon flammeum are a seed that are easy to germinate. You said none germinated. I do get seeds of my tree every now and then. The next time they flower and set seed you are welcome to some seeds. 
Richard 

[Hillizard]

1 hour ago, happypalms said:

The alloxylon flammeum are a seed that are easy to germinate. You said none germinated. I do get seeds of my tree every now and then. The next time they flower and set seed you are welcome to some seeds. 
Richard 

Thanks so much for the offer. Once my London order arrives, I'll see if the seeds are viable. It's a mystery to me why I've never gotten them to germinate from more than one source. I've tried all the usual disinfection/soil media/heat treatment/lighting methods that've worked for me in the past, but so far no luck!🤔

[Hillizard]

2 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

And who is this London salesman of seeds?

I'll DM you. 

[happypalms]

2 hours ago, Hillizard said:

Thanks so much for the offer. Once my London order arrives, I'll see if the seeds are viable. It's a mystery to me why I've never gotten them to germinate from more than one source. I've tried all the usual disinfection/soil media/heat treatment/lighting methods that've worked for me in the past, but so far no luck!🤔

Short shelf life or it could be our soil has that little thing that they need. Rainforest species from Australia I would personally want them harvested and sown asap! Fresh seeds way to go.

[happypalms]

A lovely gift of a few seeds from a palm talk member. A deep container shall be used and placed inside a large plastic bag and placed in the hothouse. A very interesting palm from Africa, iam pretty sure I will have enough summer heat for them. Just have to germinate them first. 

[Jonathan Haycock]

They’ll germinate for sure with enough heat and moisture as they are fresh as. Just have to be careful not to damage the roots when moving them on. As a genus they can be temperamental at first, but after a while they toughen up and become bulletproof in the sub-tropics.

[happypalms]

3 hours ago, Jonathan Haycock said:

They’ll germinate for sure with enough heat and moisture as they are fresh as. Just have to be careful not to damage the roots when moving them on. As a genus they can be temperamental at first, but after a while they toughen up and become bulletproof in the sub-tropics.

One variety I have been looking forward to growing for quite a while. A very iconic palm with a branching habit. Not that I will see one branch in my lifetime. But definitely an interesting palm to be growing. 

[happypalms]

A nice little garden harvest of some nana seeds and a few adscendens seeds. Both hand pollinated to give Mother Nature a helping hand to ensure a bountiful harvest. Both palms are easy to grow and propagate. This lot will be destined for my garden to give that extra tropical look! 

[JohnAndSancho]

The Nana is gorgeous. If I had a dollar for every time one of your posts has sent me to Palmpedia.... Well I wouldn't be rich, but it'd probably cover a month's worth of my or Sancho's prescriptions. 

[Harry’s Palms]

Nice haul of precious seeds . Free palms as I say! Harry

[happypalms]

8 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Nice haul of precious seeds . Free palms as I say! Harry

Indeed they are, 25 years in my garden and I have only seen one for sale over those years! Iam sure there out there and available but you will have to look!

Richard 

[Harry’s Palms]

I have a lovely “ virtual” garden in New South Wales that has plenty of them , and someone else does all the planting and watering for me ! Harry 😂 

[happypalms]

19 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have a lovely “ virtual” garden in New South Wales that has plenty of them , and someone else does all the planting and watering for me ! Harry 😂 

Livin the dream Harry just livin  the dream! 
Richard 

[happypalms]

Nothing better than few local collected seeds. A nice palm the engleri, one for cold climate market, a question often asked in my area what have you got that’s cold tolerant. The Arenga engleri fits into that one and a great screening palm as well. And the elegans grows well in my garden so I want about 50 more for the garden. 

[TropicsEnjoyer]

How long do the engleris take to sprout? I have a few seeds in a cup and it’s been about a month and a half only. I think I made a thread about this once already but I forgot.

[JohnAndSancho]

Richard, you ever thought about doing a series of YouTube videos? I mean, first off there's your garden - but I've also noticed that you don't germinate everything with the same methods. I think it'd be fascinating just to see your lab. And nothing you grow is a boring big box store plant. 

I'm amateur as hell over here. Brother Dave mentioned some Arenga seeds a while ago and I'd love to try them again. I don't think I cleaned them enough, I got one sprout that didn't last very long last time. 

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, TropicsEnjoyer said:

How long do the engleris take to sprout? I have a few seeds in a cup and it’s been about a month and a half only. I think I made a thread about this once already but I forgot.

There quite easy to germinate 3 to 6 months, some seeds are surprisingly slow while others are quite quick at germinating, but there not really sporadic in germination. 

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Richard, you ever thought about doing a series of YouTube videos? I mean, first off there's your garden - but I've also noticed that you don't germinate everything with the same methods. I think it'd be fascinating just to see your lab. And nothing you grow is a boring big box store plant. 

I'm amateur as hell over here. Brother Dave mentioned some Arenga seeds a while ago and I'd love to try them again. I don't think I cleaned them enough, I got one sprout that didn't last very long last time. 

Not my cup of tea, I like to vary my method sometimes but stick to my tried and proven methods. It depends on temperature and the climate that the seed comes from. Also how rare the seed is plays a big role as well in technique used. I do have some of those boring generic plants in my garden but you really won’t find me propagating them, and the ones in my garden are destined for the compost heap with much more exotic plants wanting there space. There is a new mega million dollar nursery that has opened up near my house and it’s full of boring generic common garbage, if you build it they will come and spend money on garbage. I tried shopping there but just can’t stand the place and refuse to give them my money for garbage plants.

[Harry’s Palms]

I have plenty of fruit on my Arenga Engleri now . When it turns black I break open to fruit and push them into the ground around my shady gardens. I just started doing this to see if they will sprout . Too slow to grow for any future hedges for me but it would be cool to have some little ones popping up. 
       Sorry to hear of your experience . There is only one really cool nursery that I go to in Ventura . It is where my palming started over 35 years ago. My mentor has retired but the new manager has a Kentia farm out here in Santa Paula and is into palms . They have some very interesting palms and cycads but no seedlings like they used to have many years ago. The selection is fairly good for a commercial nursery though. They have Arenga , Chambeyronia, many Chamaedorea , as well as Howea and others. Other nurseries just don’t do it for me. Harry

[happypalms]

12 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have plenty of fruit on my Arenga Engleri now . When it turns black I break open to fruit and push them into the ground around my shady gardens. I just started doing this to see if they will sprout . Too slow to grow for any future hedges for me but it would be cool to have some little ones popping up. 
       Sorry to hear of your experience . There is only one really cool nursery that I go to in Ventura . It is where my palming started over 35 years ago. My mentor has retired but the new manager has a Kentia farm out here in Santa Paula and is into palms . They have some very interesting palms and cycads but no seedlings like they used to have many years ago. The selection is fairly good for a commercial nursery though. They have Arenga , Chambeyronia, many Chamaedorea , as well as Howea and others. Other nurseries just don’t do it for me. Harry

Watch your little fingers dont get burned as you know with Arenga seeds, nearly all the family run nurseries have closed down due to large.chain stores, if you build they will come. A few hours north there are a couple of good nurseries one is a collector such as myself with some very good rare palms and the other one is a specialist rainforest nursery that is so good and he does a few palms from me as well and had a good eye for rare quality plants.

Richard 

[Hillizard]

On 8/8/2025 at 2:47 PM, Hillizard said:

Happy Palms: Thanks so much for the offer. Once my London order arrives, I'll see if the seeds are viable. It's a mystery to me why I've never gotten them to germinate from more than one source. I've tried all the usual disinfection/soil media/heat treatment/lighting methods that've worked for me in the past, but so far no luck!🤔

This is a picture of the "Alloxylon" seeds I was sent that arrived today. The seller had explicitly confirmed in writing  they were "Alloxylon flammeum" but I have my doubts after looking up images online. The address on the envelope had a Chinese name and New York address, although the seller is in London. Do they look like the seeds of that species to you? Any opinion offered from anyone familiar with this species would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, Hillizard said:

This is a picture of the "Alloxylon" seeds I was sent that arrived today. The seller had explicitly confirmed in writing  they were "Alloxylon flammeum" but I have my doubts after looking up images online. The address on the envelope had a Chinese name and New York address, although the seller is in London. Do they look like the seeds of that species to you? Any opinion offered from anyone familiar with this species would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

No there not alloxylon, they are a winged seed and you would notice a little bit of wing left and they are brown as well. Send em back and get a refund. I can’t believe people do those sort of things steal from other people blatantly and get away with it, it’s rude! 

[Hillizard]

5 hours ago, happypalms said:

No there not alloxylon, they are a winged seed and you would notice a little bit of wing left and they are brown as well. Send em back and get a refund. I can’t believe people do those sort of things steal from other people blatantly and get away with it, it’s rude! 

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. It may be that this London seed dealer works with his contracted source in New York to supply these seeds but doesn't tell his customers. I will ask for a refund but not getting my hopes up. It's often a risk one takes in this personal horticultural endeavor, same as trusting you'll get a few germinations from wild-collected seeds that are accurately labeled but get shipped from afar and stored under less than ideal conditions!

[happypalms]

46 minutes ago, Hillizard said:

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. It may be that this London seed dealer works with his contracted source in New York to supply these seeds but doesn't tell his customers. I will ask for a refund but not getting my hopes up. It's often a risk one takes in this personal horticultural endeavor, same as trusting you'll get a few germinations from wild-collected seeds that are accurately labeled but get shipped from afar and stored under less than ideal conditions!

Odds on you got seeds from china. My wife purchased me a birthday gift of supposedly licuala cordata, from china and I had warned her about the seeds from china. And upon opening they where trachycarpus seeds and yes not one has germinated. Also India is known for  such business practices. It’s buyer beware out there in the world of seeds. And the buyer believes they are getting the real deal, it’s no different than online scams and phone scams, if you go fishing you will catch fish in that big pond and fishing they  are! 

[happypalms]

A couple of more seeds to sow, a nice little import. A few had already started to germinate in transit which is fine. Time will tell how many I get. Bottom heating 30 degrees Celsius with a little fluctuating temps at night with the box’s being placed outside, coco coir perlite mix just slightly damp, styrofoam box’s with lids. 

[Hu Palmeras]

What a seed germination lab, Richard. That Botany has some good science.

[happypalms]

41 minutes ago, Hu Palmeras said:

What a seed germination lab, Richard. That Botany has some good science.

A mad scientist lab I prefer!

[Hu Palmeras]

Well, we all love palm trees, Richard. You've already told me that. But at the same time, you're amazed and astonished by the beauty among palm species. Great growers will emerge from this forum. Interesting people will be trained once and for all, and they will dominate the palm world.

[happypalms]

3 minutes ago, Hu Palmeras said:

Well, we all love palm trees, Richard. You've already told me that. But at the same time, you're amazed and astonished by the beauty among palm species. Great growers will emerge from this forum. Interesting people will be trained once and for all, and they will dominate the palm world.

Palm collecting is such a wonderful thing, the joy of growing palms and gardening is a gift from Mother Nature.

[Harry’s Palms]

5 hours ago, happypalms said:

A mad scientist lab I prefer!

I like to call it a secret underground laboratory that I tell everybody about ….WAIT! I guess it ain’t so secret after all , and always above ground , unless you’re the seed😂. In Biology class I once wrote a report on irradiated seeds I germinated in a lab. Now that was my mad scientist days ….in school. Harry