Unusual Tree Seeds
Trees not only beautify your home, but they also add value as well. Studies have shown that mature trees can increase the value of a home by ten percent. Distinguish your home from the rest in the neighborhood by planting some unique seeds today.
Important Note: Most of the seeds on this page will benefit greatly from using the CAPE
Smoke Seed Germination Primer that we use in our own greenhouses. We find we receive significantly better
germination results when we use this primer on these types of seeds.
Photos and cultural info courtesy of Floridata.com
D7821
Camphor Tree ( Cinnamomum camphora )The camphor tree is a dense broadleaved evergreen that is capable of growing 50-150' tall and spreading twice that wide with a trunk up to 15' in diameter, though the largest U.S. specimens are only half that size and those in the Caribbean are even smaller. The shiny foliage is made up of alternate 1-4" oval leaves dangling from long petioles. Each leaf has three distinct yellowish veins.
The outer margins of the leaves tend to be somewhat wavy and turn upward. The new foliage starts out a rusty burgundy color, but the leaves soon turn dark green on the upper sides and paler green underneath. New branches emerging from the shallowly fissured grayish brown trunk are smooth and green. Twigs are usually green, but may be tinged with red when young. The inconspicuous tiny cream colored flowers are borne in the spring on branching 3" flower stalks. They are followed by large crops of fruit, comprised of round pea sized berries attached to the branchlets by cuplike little green cones. The berries first turn reddish, then ripen to black. Camphor tree can be readily identified by the distinctive odor of a crushed leaf.
Location: Camphor tree comes from China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and adjacent parts of East Asia, where it grows in mesic forests and on well-drained sites along streambanks. Camphor has become widely naturalized in Australia. In the United States, it is grown along the Gulf Coast and in California, and has escaped cultivation and become naturalized in many areas.
Culture: Camphor prefers fertile sandy soil. It will
tolerate a pH anywhere in the range of 4.3 to 8. The roots are
very sensitive to disturbance. They may extend far from the
trunk of the tree, and can readily be identified by their
characteristic odor.
Light: Camphor will grow in full sun or partial shade.
Moisture: Camphor tree does not do well in wet soils.
Established trees are tolerant of drought.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 8 - 10. Hardened off camphor trees can
survive freezes down to 10-15 F, but new growth will suffer
freeze burn when the temperature drops below 32 and branches
will die back from temperatures in the low twenties.
Propagation: Camphor seed does not remain viable for long and
should be planted in the greenhouse as soon as it ripens.
Remove the fruit pulp first. At 68 F, germination will take 1-6
months. Cuttings of semiripe side shoots can be rooted in a
warm humid place in midsummer. Pieces 2-3" long with a heel
work best.
Usage: Camphor is widely planted as a shade tree, screen, or windbreak. In China and Japan, it is grown commercially for its medicinal oil. Camphor oil has a strong penetrating fragrance, a pungent bitter flavor, and feels cool on the skin like menthol, though it also has irritating qualities as well as a numbing effect. Camphor has been used to treat ailments ranging from parasitic infections to toothaches. Scientific evidence has confirmed that chemicals in the plant have value in antiseptics and medications for treating diarrhea, inflammation, itching, and nervous conditions. Camphor wood is prized for its attractive red and yellow striping, amenability to woodworking, and insect repelling properties. It is light to medium in weight and soft to medium in hardness. Wood from the camphor tree is not especially strong, but it takes polishing well. It is commonly used for chests, closets, coffins, instruments, and sculptures. Camphor veneer is used in fine cabinetry. Camphor is also used in perfumes.
Features: This is a sturdy storm resistant tree which makes a good windbreak. Since it is hard to burn, it should also be valuable as a shade tree in areas that are prone to wildfires. Unfortunately, these desirable traits are offset by the tree's invasiveness and damaging effects on wildlife and natural communities. This fine tree should be grown and appreciated in its native range, but not planted in other regions where species and ecosystems have not adapted to its aggressiveness and toxicity. Camphor tree should not be grown in the United States.
WARNING: Camphor in large doses is toxic to humans. It
stimulates the central nervous system and may affect
respiration or cause convulsions. In Chinese medicine, camphor
is forbidden for pregnant women and those with a deficiency of
vital energy or yin. Australian research indicates that camphor
poisoning may be having damaging effects on wildlife. The green
fruits, leaves, and roots are toxic and the fruits are high in
chemicals known to cause sterility in birds. Camphor trees have
been associated with fish kills and the absence of frogs in
nearby wetlands. Camphor is a prolific seed producer that
apparently does not have serious predators or diseases outside
its native range. Seedlings and root sprouts are abundant near
mature trees, but individual trees pop up far from seed
sources. In Florida, camphor trees appear in undisturbed mesic
hardwood forests, upland pine woods, and scrubs, as well as in
the vacant lots and fencerows where it is more commonly
observed. The Plant Conservation Alliance lists this species as
an Alien Invader and it is listed as a Category I invasive
exotic species by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, which
means that it is known to be "invading and disrupting native
plant communities in Florida."
Photo courtesy of Floridata.com
NW06
Pink Japanese Dogwood ( Cornus kousa )A beautiful and hardy dogwood from Japan that is covered with pink blossoms in the earliest parts of Spring.
Culture Light: Partial or broken shade is best, but flowering dogwood can tolerate full sun, too. It does best with some shade in the south and full sun in the north. Moisture: Established specimens are tolerant of normal dry periods, but will need supplemental watering during extreme droughts. Stress of any kind makes dogwoods susceptible to diseases.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-9.
Usage: Flowering dogwood is one of the most popular
ornamental specimen trees in eastern North America. Use dogwood
as a framing tree or as a background tree. They are excellent
beneath large oaks or pines. Dogwoods are among the earliest
springtime bloomers, brightening the landscape along with
azaleas, spireas, forsythias and redbuds. With its dense crown,
flowering dogwood provides good shade, and due to its small
stature, it is useful in the smallest yards.
The wood of dogwood is very hard and has some value in the
forest products trade for such things as commercial loom
shuttles and spindles. In colonial (U.S.A.) times, a tea brewed
from the bark was said to reduce fevers. Squirrels and birds
devour the pretty red fruits.
Features: The graceful yet compact shape and brilliant
springtime blooms make this a favorite landscape tree
throughout its range. The flowering dogwood is just about the
finest flowering tree you can find. It is beautiful in all
seasons and even though it is nearly ubiquitous in home
landscapes, it never seems to be overplanted.
Photo and cultural info courtesy of Floridata.com
1A036
Tulip Tree ( Liriodendron )This large, stately tree is fairly common in the eastern United States. It grows over 100' tall and 4'-6' in diameter. Its alternate, simple leaves are easily recognized by their saddle or tulip shape. It has rather large, handsome flowers that are greenish with orange markings, shaped like tulips, and appearing in the spring.
Location: Yellow poplar grows throughout the eastern United States from southern New England, west to Michigan and south to Louisiana, across to central Florida. It grows best in fertile, moist soils, such as would be found in mountain coves, lower north facing slopes, and bottomlands.
Culture: Light: Full sun.
Moisture: Moist, well drained.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-9.
Usage: Yellow poplar is one of the most important southern hardwood trees in the forest products trade. Its uses are many, including barrel bungs and furniture stock. In the landscape, if a true giant is desired, consider yellow poplar. Used for large public plantings, avenues and highways, it may be too large for the average home grounds.
Features: With beautiful form, rapid growth, lovely spring
flowers and golden fall foliage, this forest giant makes a
great ornamental wherever you have room for it. The Indians of
Pennsylvania and Virginia used the long, clean boles for making
dugout canoes. The wood of yellow poplar has gained some favor
with modern boat builders, crafting light, strong sailing and
rowing boats.
D7851 Japanese Pagoda Tree ( Sophora )
Sophora has a
height and spread of from 40 to 60 feet. It has a rapid growth
rate and tolerates city conditions, heat, and drought. The tree
prefers a sunny open location any light soil. A yellow dye can
be made by boiling the dried flowers and buds in water. The
greenish white flowers are produced in mid to late summer.
Raised in parks throughout the world for its attractive
clusters of flowers, the tree itself also has great ornamental
appeal. Zone 5-9.
Photo and cultural info courtesy of Floridata.com
1A005
Screw Pine ( Pandanus utilis )This exotic topical plant can grow up to 25'. It has many stubby branches, each topped by a rosette of 3' strap-shaped leaves. These saw toothed leaves resemble a pineapple plant and are used to make baskets and mats. Prop roots that reach down from the branches provide support and give the plant a unique appearance.
Location: Native to the island of Madagascar (Malagasy
Republic). Used in frost free areas such as south Florida.
Light: Sun to light shade.
Moisture: Fast growth if given fertile soil and moist
conditions. Will tolerate dry conditions.
Hardiness: USDA Zone 10. High salt tolerance -- does well near
the beach.
Usage: Use as an exotic sculptural accent or in containers
indoors and out. Young specimens make tough and easy to grow
container plants.
D7853 Soaptree
( Yucca elata )
A native of the US South West that will grow to 20 ft. with
leaves 1" wide by three feet long. The flower stem can rise as
much as 10 feet above the plant with flowers ranging from green
to white with tinges of pink. Zone 3-9
Photos and cultural info courtesy of Floridata.com
D7855
Chinese Tallow Tree ( Sapium )The Chinese tallow is a fast-growing deciduous tree with a rounded or conical crown and an open, airy look. It can get up to 40' tall with a 20' spread. The leaves are diamond shaped, abruptly pointed at the tip, and 2-3" long. They flutter in the breeze like poplar leaves. In fall the leaves turn brilliant shades of scarlet, orange, yellow and maroon. The springtime flowers are in yellowish green catkins on the branch tips. The fruits are 3-lobed brown capsules that open to reveal three white, waxy seeds that resemble popcorn. Like most members of the spurge family, broken twigs and leaf stems exude a milky latex sap.
Location: Chinese tallow is native to China and Japan where it has been cultivated for its useful seeds and as an ornamental for more than a thousand years. It is said that Benjamin Franklin introduced Chinese tallow into the United States in 1776. Since then it has escaped from cultivation and is now an extremely invasive weed in much of the lower southeast and is currently expanding its range west and north through Texas and North Carolina. It is also considered a weed in Australia. It was planted as a street tree in California where it apparently has not yet become invasive, perhaps because of insufficient rainfall.
Culture: Chinese tallow tolerates almost any soil and can
grow 5' tall in its first year.
Light: Full sun or partial shade.
Moisture: Chinese tallow is only moderately drought tolerant;
seedlings especially, need watering during dry periods.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 8 - 11.
Usage: In the United States Chinese tallow has been grown as a
shade tree and for its brilliant fall foliage.
Features: Chinese tallow seed capsules yield a wax (Chinese
vegetable tallow) that is used to make soap and candles. An oil
is extracted that is used as a lamp fuel and machine lubricant.
In parts of the American southeast, decorative wreaths are made
by stringing the popcorn-like seeds. Honeybees make a desirable
light-colored honey from the flowers. Cannot ship to FL,
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