Yellowwood Tree - Ask Extension
Hi,
My wife harvested some seeds from a yellowwood tree (please see picture). She would like to start a new tree from these seeds. We have two ques...
Knowledgebase
Yellowwood Tree #852565
Asked October 08, 2023, 5:22 PM EDT
Hi,
My wife harvested some seeds from a yellowwood tree (please see picture). She would like to start a new tree from these seeds. We have two questions: 1. Are these seeds viable? 2. How should we go about starting seedlings (should we select seeds of a certain color/should we set seeds out unplanted over the winter/should we start seeds now or in the spring?)
Thank you for any help you may be able to give us.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
We can't determine if the seeds are viable from the photo, and are not certain if a test used for other seeds (like oak acorns) would be as accurate in this case. (Which is - if they float in water, they're duds, and if they sink, they're viable.) With regards to storage and germination tips, though, one of our native plant reference books suggests that they need to be scarified (the seed coat abraded a little so it absorbs water more readily, mimicking a process seeds would go through in the digestive system of an animal). You can use a nail file or sandpaper to nick the seed coat, or carefully file a portion of it thinner so moisture can seep through.
Seeds needs to be stratified (exposed to a chilling period) for about 3 to 4 months, either in the refrigerator (not freezer) or outdoors in ambient conditions. The seeds should be stored moist, not dry, though not so wet that they develop mold. Peat moss, damp sand or vermiculite, or even a slightly-moist paper towel all might suffice as a material to store the seeds with if kept in the fridge. If sown outdoors, you may need to protect the seeds from hungry birds or rodents by covering the container or in-ground planting site with wire mesh or some other breathable covering.
We don't have information about the ideal planting depth for the seed, so you may need to experiment. A guess would be to cover them no more than about 1 to 2 times their size in soil. Outdoor-overwintered seeds will germinate when conditions are right. Fridge-stored seeds can be taken out and sown when their chilling period is complete (though giving them a little longer might not hurt), either by potting them up (or putting them directly into the ground) outside or by putting them into containers indoors. If the latter method is used, they may need to be treated like any indoor-started flower or vegetable and not put outside until temperatures moderate since they will not be acclimated to frosts.
Miri
Seeds needs to be stratified (exposed to a chilling period) for about 3 to 4 months, either in the refrigerator (not freezer) or outdoors in ambient conditions. The seeds should be stored moist, not dry, though not so wet that they develop mold. Peat moss, damp sand or vermiculite, or even a slightly-moist paper towel all might suffice as a material to store the seeds with if kept in the fridge. If sown outdoors, you may need to protect the seeds from hungry birds or rodents by covering the container or in-ground planting site with wire mesh or some other breathable covering.
We don't have information about the ideal planting depth for the seed, so you may need to experiment. A guess would be to cover them no more than about 1 to 2 times their size in soil. Outdoor-overwintered seeds will germinate when conditions are right. Fridge-stored seeds can be taken out and sown when their chilling period is complete (though giving them a little longer might not hurt), either by potting them up (or putting them directly into the ground) outside or by putting them into containers indoors. If the latter method is used, they may need to be treated like any indoor-started flower or vegetable and not put outside until temperatures moderate since they will not be acclimated to frosts.
Miri
