Re: Davidia involucrata (Dove Tree)

louise     do you know the linnaean name?

i have had success with exceptionally hard resistant pits by grinding them
to expose the inside meat just appearing through the shell, and then putting
them straight into the soil, unsoaked;  soaking seems to allow the endosperm
to swell too quickly and 'strangle' the germ, i surmise.    do you know the
soil type in its original native habitat?     geoff
                                                          gstanf@swbell.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Louise Parsons <parsont@peak.org>
To: propagation@mallorn.com <propagation@mallorn.com>
Date: Thursday, May 06, 1999 9:37 AM
Subject: Davidia involucrata (Dove Tree)


>Greetings, All:
>
>Does anyone have any experience with propagating Dove trees either by seeds
>or by cuttings?
>
>I have searched many archives and databases  trying to find info.  Without
>success I have tried rooting both ripe and semi-ripe wood and tried to
>germinate the seeds with varying methods, even to include soaking in weak
>H2SO4.  This beautiful tree was imported directly from China by the
>horticulturalists who built our home nearly seventy years ago.  It is an
>especially nice form with large "doves".  I am especially anxious to
>propagate it for future generations to enjoy.
>
>It is a member of the or Sour-Gum  family.  The fruits are very hard and
>remain on the tree well into the following season.  They have hard pits
>that remind me of a peach.  Any experience with this *family* might also be
>helpful, as might any experience with germinating seeds that have such hard
>and seemingly impermeable coats.  The seeds are hard to crack, even with a
>sledge!  No wonder seeds of the Sour-Gum family are preserved in the fossil
>record! :-) ;-)
>
>This tree is very slow-growing reaching only about thirty feet in seventy
>years.  The sparse new wood hardens very quickly.
>
>An interesting aside...this tree takes twenty to thirty years to produce
>the beautiful flower  clusters that are surrounded by the white "doves"
>that are actually bracts.
>Cheers,  Louise
>
>Corvallis, Oregon
>p*@peak.org
>
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