Re: Davidia involucrata (Dove Tree)

If anyone would like to view a picture of the Dove Tree, there is one at
the Vascular Plant Image Gallery at:

http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/imaxxnys.htm

This gallery is a good all-round collection of plant pictures.  

At 10:20 AM 5/6/1999 -0600, Don Martinson
 wrote:


Dear Louise,

>My Wyman's Gardening Encyclopedia states:
>>Do not allow the seed to dry out, but stratify in polyethylene bags with
medium of damp sand or peat moss, at greenhouse  temperatures for about 5
months.  Then when the segments break out, move the bags to a temperature
of 40F for 3 months, then sow.  Softwood cuttings can also be rooted as
well as layered.>>>
<<<<

I had tried such stratification, but not in a greenhouse.  Several of you
have suggested heat.  Perhaps there is not enough heat during our cool
Oregon summers.  Our soil temperatures stay remarkably cool here during the
summer...great for alpines and rhododendron, but not for things that like
some real summer heat.  I will try germinating some seeds on my propagation
mat.  Summer drought here might be a factor also and greater than usual
attention to tenting and misting may be the ticket for cuttings.  This tree
is subject to summer monsoon as well as higher soil temp in its native
habitat.  Growing from seed is my ideal, but I will continue to try
cuttings too.  It has also occurred to me that even though it bears
abundant fruit, it might not be fertile.  I do not know if this is a
possibility.  Although there are other dove trees on the university campus
and at nearby arboreta, none are within pollinating range.  


>I was afraid of the time factor here.  I fell in love with this tree when
I first saw it in a manual of >trees in the library.  I was determined to
have it.  Despite indications that it might not be hardy >here in Zone 5
(SE Wisconsin), I found that Roslyn Nursery carried them and so got one of
my >own.  Fortunately, it has survived, with no winter injury, 2 winters
where the temp reached -20F.
<<<<

The tree is native to mountains in Sichuan and Hubei that are marginal to
zone 5 according to my atlas.   

Thanks, all for helping make my bag of possible tricks larger :)

Cheers,  Louise
Corvallis, Oregon
p*@peak.org

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