# Free seeds



## johng

Is any one interested in some Tupelo seeds or some swamp TITI this is the sientific name of the titi Swamp Cyrilla, Titi - Cyrilla racemiflora If you are interested send me a self addressed envelop and I will send you some. Just let me know you are wanting some so I can remove the tread when they are all gone. I only have enough for 5 or 6 people. I have alot more titi than tupelo. According to some of the info I have read they both will grow in many places. But, both will do better in a wetter type soil. Send me a PM and I will give you my address.


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## brac

The aborday site says they will grow in zone 4 so count me in for some seeds.
Thanks
Brac


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## pom51

I would like some also
thank


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## BDJ

I would love some also. I will send the address tomorrow. 
Thanks,
BDJ


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## johng

Ok guys I have had several people ask for seeds let me see how many envelopes I get to see if I have any more seeds left. If I have any left I will let you'll know. 
There are plenty of the titi seeds still on the trees if I need to go get some more but, the Tupelo's are just about gone. And the birds are getting there share everyday.


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## johng

I recieved three envelopes yesterday and filled them up last night, I will put them in the mailbox Monday morn. I still have enough seeds for a few more. I put quite a few in each one. The Big seeds are the Tuepelo seeds and the little ones are the Ti Ti seeds.


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## Brenda

I PM'ed you.


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## johng

I have had a few people say they recieved there envelopes torn with no seeds. I am sorry for that, I still have a few seeds left if you'll would like to try it again. 

I was also wondering who did receive your seeds???


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## thomas

Do you still have any seeds left i live in virginia will they grow here and when is the best time to plant them i am trying to grow alot of plants for my bees this year so they will have something to work wen the main flow is over.

THOMAS


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## alexcc1

I would also like some seeds. 

If anyone is interested, I have Golden Rain Tree seeds, and Vitex. PM me and I'll give you my address, send a SASE and I'll get some seeds your way!

Maybe we could get some kind of seed exchange started!



Alex


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## alexcc1

I'm putting Golden Raintree and Vitex seeds in the mail today! 

Is anyone else interested?

I'm looking for Evodia (BeeBee tree) and Black Locust seeds. 

Seed Swap anyone?


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## carbide

alexcc1

I have some black locust seeds from southwest Pa. if you're still looking for them. I'll trade you for some vitex if they'll grow in my area. (heck, I'll even send you some black locust seeds even if the vitex won't grow in my area)


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## boknows honey bee's

I would love to try the black locust(bee bee) seeds and any other good honey bee seeds, if any one can spare me some I am in Dighton mass 50 miles south of boston in the woods. Jeff, bo knows honey bee's. Thanks please addvise.


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## BillyH

I would like to have some FREE Tupelo seeds .:lookout:


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## Beeman52

Dont put seeds in an envelope, the post office will crush them with their machine that sorts mail.


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## bradley39482

thats a good idea, seed exchange,
i also have some vitex seed still on the plant but don't know when to pick them off, also have some natchez white crape mertle seed, if anyone is interested, also planted a bass wood tree and is doing good, but heard they take a while to grow, also the wild popcorn tree has seed on, but they wont be ready till the end of august. does any one have any sour wood seed, been trying to find some! have some wild sumac seed coming they are good for bees during the dearth, they bloom from july to the end of aug. their seed should be ready at end of aug.


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## ptwat

I have sourwood trees but was trying to cultivates some before I realized it. Talked to a local nursery and they seemed to think sourwoods are hard to propagate.
I also have some golden raintree seeds if anyone is interested.


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## johng

I still have plenty of Tupelo seeds if anyone wants some. If you send me a padded envelope I will send you a hand full. I tried to mail some in a regular envelope and some people complained that the envelope broke open during mailing. Thats why I requested a padded envelope


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## bradley39482

ptwat
i transplanted a sour wood from the woods in august last year! its doing good, just add some food pellets, add water with miracle grow, set your plant in fill with some good rich earth with a little 13-13-13, and it will do good up to zone 4. i have planted ,"last year", sour-wood, natches white crap myrtle, vitex, black locust, basswood, and sumac. all are doing good and well, but they are immature tree's so the seed will be a while coming. i think this is a great idea for a seed trade forum! hopefully i'll have some seed for ya'll in a few years!


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## bradley39482

what is golden raintree?


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## johng

Zelma Your Seeds are in my mail box waiting on the postman! Good luck with them.


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## ptwat

bradley39482 said:


> what is golden raintree?


I didn't know what they were until last year. I park on the second level (top) of my parking deck usually. I can see the middle of the tulip poplar and enjoy watching them as Spring arrives blooming will all the nectar. It is a big difference over looking up from below.
Anyway, after the tulip poplar flow stopped I noticed a tree beginning to bloom along about July (outside of Atlanta GA) during what is normally a dearth here. Wasps, bumblebees and other insects were all over it. I did not see any honeybees but and wondered whether they would like it or not. I started asking people around work what kind of tree it was and I think they thought I was crazy. No one new. After some research I figured out that it was a Golden Raintree and was supposedly brought from China by Thomas Jefferson. It resembles a Sourwood with bright yellow flowers is the best way I can describe it. It produces a seed pod that is very unique and has a seed about the size of a BB. 
One of the local bee clubs meets at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and I figured that I could ask someone there about a Golden Raintree and whether it was good for honeybees. No one that I had access to knew either. But fortuitously when I was leaving the meeting via a different path I normally take, there was a forty foot Golden Raintree in full bloom. In this case it was covered with honeybees because there are a few hives on the property. That answered the question about whether bees like then or not. I got very interested since it could help plug a nectar flow hole here in GA. This past Fall I collected as many seeds as I could reach from the upper parking deck and collected about 100-150 seeds. From what I read they are like weeds in Florida and many people do not like them for that reason. I think someone might have gone around the area here and dropped a lot of seeds.  We will see how easily they propagate from seeds.


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## ptwat

bradley39482 said:


> ptwat
> i transplanted a sour wood from the woods in august last year! its doing good, just add some food pellets, add water with miracle grow, set your plant in fill with some good rich earth with a little 13-13-13, and it will do good up to zone 4. i have planted ,"last year", sour-wood, natches white crap myrtle, vitex, black locust, basswood, and sumac. all are doing good and well, but they are immature tree's so the seed will be a while coming. i think this is a great idea for a seed trade forum! hopefully i'll have some seed for ya'll in a few years!


I collected several "boughs" of flowers that fell from our sourwoods. I am not sure what size the seed is but what I was able to get from the flower/pods was about the size of a period. So I am not sure if they are the real seeds. It is not clear to me whether my bees are attracted to them or not because when they are blooming my bees seem to be going in the wrong direction.
What I would like to do is get different trees/shrubs/flower started to extend the nectar flow through the summer. When do the trees you mention above have their nectar flows?
I am also going to try sowing clover this year in my small fields around the house. I will probably just end up feeding the other beeks bees in the neighborhood .


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## bradley39482

ptwat
right now in south Mississippi, the wild plum,pear,red maple, pine, are in bloom or pollinating, if you will send me a pm with your address i will send you the university of GA plants list for bee's, and it gives the blooming time for these plants, not all plants are for bee's, such as the red clover or crimson clover, the bee's prefer dutch or white sweet clover. and sumac is a great end of the summer tree to plant, not the poison sumac, send me a pm of your e-mail address and i will send it to you in a word doc.


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## johng

Yes, Golden rain trees are a great nectar source and you are right they bloom late in the year when most other plants have stopped producing. You will have no problem getting them to grow from seed. As a matter of fact they can be a little invasive. They will come up in every flower bed you have around your house once the tree starts producing seeds. They will even come up in your gutters if they are not kept cleaned out.


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## bradley39482

hey ya'll
have asked troy about starting a forum on seed exchange, but have not heard anything back from him, do ya'll think that would be a good idea, instead of having to go all over the planting forum to look for a thread!


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## ZZZnature

Thank you, John! I'll be excited to get the Tupelo Tree seeds germinated. Have the containers ready to go!


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## carbide

Last year some painting contractors discovered a structural defect on the main support beams of a local river bridge that they were painting. As the bridge was shut down for a few weeks I was forced to take an alternate route that I rarely use. Going through a small town along the route I discovered a tree about 15 feet tall that was loaded with yellow flowers and as many honeybees as it could hold. I had never seen a tree like it before and immediately stopped to ask the property owner what variety of tree it was. The house was adandoned and it didn't appear that anybody had been in the place for a while.

Not wanting to be charged with trespassing, I left and went home to get on the internet to try to determine what type of tree it was. After some diligent searching I figured out that it is a golden rain tree. Unfortunately, the tree is too far away for my bees to be able to find it so about two weeks ago I went back to the property to see if anybody was now living in the house. The place is still empty so I didn't think that anyone would mind if I helped myself to some of the seeds that were still hanging in it's branches. I plan to plant about 50 of the seeds as soon as the ground thaws out enough to till the soil. I figure I should be able to grow quite a few of these trees on the 20 acres that I have around my house. 

Who knows, maybe in a few years I'll actually be able to get a unique varietal honey from them.


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## ptwat

Just for full disclosure about the golden raintree- one of course is that it can be slightly invasive. The ones (~4-5) at my workplace are between 15 and 40 ft tall depending on the tree and put out a lot of seeds. I have not noticed any small seedlings growing around them but there is a landscaping crew that maintains the area.
The other slightly negative is that it attracts a beetle we call here a "stink bug" or a beetle like it. People recommend not planting close to buildings if you do not want the bug on your building. I have found them on my vehicle in the afternoon when I park close to the tree.


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## bradley39482

well i hope i can get the raintree to grow down here, can't be as bad as the chines tallow tree we have around here! wonder how long it takes them to be fruitful?


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## kilocharlie

Carbide- I'd love to obtain some of those Golden Rain tree seeds.

Anybody - does anyone have a line on Australian Flame Tree or Tarra tree seeds? I'd love to obtain those!

BTW, The bees show more enthusiasm on organ pipe cactus flower than any other flower I've ever seen. I found 17 different kinds of flying insects on the only flowers low enough to see up close. So many bees coming and going for so few flowers...must taste good to them.


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## johng

Mr. Sean and Mr. Robert your seeds are on the way.


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## ptwat

johng,

Anything special about propagating tupelo seeds? Do they need to be stratified?


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## johng

No, I just use those little peat pellets inside one of those small seed starter domes. They come up pretty easy.


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## ptwat

I have had several people ask how to propagate the golden raintree seeds. This is my first year attempting to propagate them. Since raintrees are supposedly very prolific I just used a "throw-down" technique of spreading seeds last fall in areas where I can see if they grow. So the seeds went through several freeze and thaw cycles to help break the tough cover. I am also trying to germinate them in one of the peat starter packs you can get at the home stores. I started them about a week ago and have not seen anything yet but will keep you informed.
Back in February of this year I noticed an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution from a column by Master Gardener Walter Reeves and I added it here.


2/24/2011
Walter Reeves

*Q:* I have been trying to reproduce a golden rain tree for 12 years. How do you get the seeds to germinate? –Jack Williamson, email
*A:* The key is harvesting and planting the seed when fresh. Sow them shallowly, an inch apart, in a protected location immediately after the pods drop in fall. If you haves some saved seed, try soaking them overnight in lukewarm water, then putting them in a plastic bag with slightly damp sphagnum moss. Put the bag in your refrigerator crisper drawer and make a note to check them in May. Any that have germinated can be planted then.


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## ptwat

I checked my raintree peat pots this evening and two plants are emerging. I planted them on 3/6 so it has been nine days for these first two to come up. Also of note, the ones that came up are from the group that I scored before planting.


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## John C

I believe Aborday.org offers goldenraintrees along with 8 other flowering trees for like 10 bucks if I remember correctly. Just thought I'd throw that out there


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## ptwat

johng said:


> No, I just use those little peat pellets inside one of those small seed starter domes. They come up pretty easy.


Johng,
I put the tupelo seeds in the little peat pots about a week and a half ago. I don't have any seedlings coming up yet but I do have a lot of what looks like white fungus growing above where the seeds are. Is that normal?


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## johng

yes, sometimes fungus will grow on the peat pellets before the seeds come up. Just give them a little more time. I have always had good luck getting them to come up.


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## tsmullins

ptwat said:


> I collected several "boughs" of flowers that fell from our sourwoods. I am not sure what size the seed is but what I was able to get from the flower/pods was about the size of a period. So I am not sure if they are the real seeds. It is not clear to me whether my bees are attracted to them or not because when they are blooming my bees seem to be going in the wrong direction.
> What I would like to do is get different trees/shrubs/flower started to extend the nectar flow through the summer. When do the trees you mention above have their nectar flows?
> I am also going to try sowing clover this year in my small fields around the house. I will probably just end up feeding the other beeks bees in the neighborhood .


Sourwoods are one of my favorite trees. They take a long time to get established after transplanting. My uncle and I moved six Sourwoods from a field to my yard. The trees ranged from 2' to 8' and they all survived, even some I really had my doubts about. In my experience it takes them two or three years to get established.

Shane


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## johng

Tupelo blooms in May here, The rain trees bloom in October here.


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## tsmullins

*Golden Raintree*

On a side note, the golden raintree is quite pest free. It is one of the few trees on our property the deer will not eat or scrape. I have not seen any Japanese beetles or other bugs on that tree as well.

Shane


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## kilocharlie

I'll be saving seeds and studying bee plants all year. Anybody from the midwest / east have Osage Orange (a.k.a. Bowdark, or Bois d'Arc) _maclura pomifera_? I'd like to grow some of it for making hive parts as the wood is very durable and weather resistant. I'm happy to trade seeds. Some other good contacts are Seed Savers and Native Seeds Search. I'll Google them and post addresses / phones, etc.


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## KevinR

Some of hives sit in the shadow of a orange osage tree.. If I remember, I'll pick up one of the green horse apples... I suppose the seeds are in there.


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## kilocharlie

Thank you, Kevin! Don't try to eat them - that white goo inside is pretty sticky as I recall. Let me know if you have any West Coast seeds on you grow list. I've got giant Moreton Bay Eucalyptus, which feed our bees from November through March and make great honey. They take a while to grow, but it's a good investment in the future.


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## ptwat

johng said:


> yes, sometimes fungus will grow on the peat pellets before the seeds come up. Just give them a little more time. I have always had good luck getting them to come up.


Johng,
I have potted the tupelo seeds in peat pots for about a month now and nothing has emerged. How long does it take for them to germinate from your experience? I have had them inside under grow lights so the temperature is about 70 degrees. I am wondering if they need more heat to germinate. We are supposed to have 80 plus temps today and tomorrow so I will put them outside. Also, do you keep them moist, dry, wet?

Thanks!


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## johng

They should have came up by now. You can go ahead and dig up a few of the seeds and see if any of them are starting to sprout. They do need a little bit of warmth to germinate. They also need to stay moist. I have not planted any this year so I don't remember exacty how long it took for them to come up. But, I had better than 80% germination rate.


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## ptwat

Interesting. I dug one up and it had not started to sprout. I took the raisin-like cover off the see and replanted. Do you start them with to cover on or off? We have kept them quite moist since I believe that is where tupelo grows - right?


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## ptwat

My beebee trees are finally beginning to sprout this week after about a month in the peat pots. Still no tupelo though. Hoping hot weather will get them started.


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## bradley39482

hey pt
had my seeds planted and came home from over seas and my little boy,2yrs old, had dug all the dirt and potting soil out, boy was i mad! but i will try again, still have some seed's left! glad to see your seeds came in and are growing!


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## ptwat

Sorry to hear about that. I still have some more raintree seeds if you need more. Mine are about 5-6 inches tall now. I have about 16 beebee sprouts.


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## ptwat

Johng,
Just got around to planting those last seeds you sent to me, thanks again. Someone asked what type of Tupelo they are and I realized I do not know, so I will ask you. Do you know what type of Tupelo trees those seeds you sent came from?

Thanks,
Tom


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