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

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."
  Package of 8 seeds $1.95

Photo and cultural info courtesy of Floridata.com

Those flowers are borne in clusters all along the naked branches and make the whole tree look pinkish-purple. Redbud is a member of the bean and pea family, and you would certainly know that from the fruits. They are typical-looking pods, rather flatened, about 2-4" long and a half inch wide, and they hang in little clusters right off the branches. The pods may be hard to see amongst the attractive pale green foliage of summer, but they often persist into winter after the leaves have fallen.

Location: Eastern redbud is found in fertile, moist sites along streams and in moist woodlands from southern Ontario, west to Nebraska, and south to Texas and North Florida. It is part of the subcanopy in mixed hardwood forests.

Culture: Eastern redbud does well in most soils, acidic to alkaline, so long as they do not stay soggy. This is a fast-growing little tree that requires little care.
Light: Eastern redbud does well in full sun to light shade. Plant redbuds in the shade of larger deciduous trees; they seem to do best when they get plenty of sun in the late winter as they are getting ready to bloom, but then they appreciate a little shade during the heat of summer.
Moisture: Redbud likes a moist soil but established specimens are quite drought tolerant.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 4-9. Plants from northern parts of the range are more cold hardy than those from farther south.
Propagation: Start redbud from seeds in autumn and overwinter outdoors. Named cultivars are usually grafted onto seedlings or started from semi-ripe tip cuttings in spring or summer.

Usage: Eastern redbud is often used as a street tree planted 25'-35' apart. They also make good framing trees for small homes. Redbud is great for providing shade for patios and for a spring accent tree. The flowers are one of the first signs of spring, opening about the time of the dogwoods and azaleas.

Features: Magenta blossoms borne close to the twigs are a harbinger of spring. This tree is commonly used as an ornamental along with flowering dogwoods. According to legend, an Old World relative of redbud was used by Judas Iscariot to hang himself. As a member of the pea or legume family, redbud has the ability to fix nitrogen from the air to use as a nutrient.
  Package of 25 seeds $1.95

Photo courtesy of Floridata.com

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.
  Package of 5 seeds $2.50

Photo and cultural info courtesy of Floridata.com

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.
  Package of 10 seeds $1.95

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.
  Package of 4 seeds $2.00

Photo and cultural info courtesy of Floridata.com

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.

  Package of 2 seeds $2.00

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
  Package of 10 seeds $2.50

Photos and cultural info courtesy of Floridata.com

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, PR
  Package of 5 seeds $1.95