London plane seeding pattern / rhythm?

[Low Altitude]

I think you haven’t found any seeds because it’s not a London Planetree. I think what you have cuttings of is a White Mulberry. Plane trees have lots of indumentum, fuzz all over the leaves and especially on the bottom, which yours do not have. Did they leak white sap when you cut them? The bark on Platanus flakes off in pieces an inch or two squarish as well, so check the trunk, too.

That is really interesting. I must admit, hanging my head in shame, that I had identified it as London Plane by using one of those online 'identify your tree' sites.

Tell you what: when i can, I'll go and take some thought-out pics of the parent tree, trunk and flaking bark and such with tape measure for scale, and post them here so everyone can take a good look at the 'original'.

Watch this space...

 

[Oliver Buckle]

One doesn't always have to wait for Spring. Last Autumn when I pruned my bay tree back I stuck a row of cuttings in a slot made with a spade and heeled them in. I won't know for sure until I dig them out, but a number are still green and healthy looking after about three months. I am told a lot of root growth occurs during the winter season, I have certainly found it to be true of box cuttings. Mind you I have also had box which has survived for up to eighteen months before rooting, so maybe the bay is just bare stems still.

 

[Low Altitude]

Eighteen months before rooting?!?!?! Wow, that's interesting.

On a whim, a couple of weeks ago, I took m'trusty penknife and lopped a few little branchlets of a discarded Xmas tree that was lying in the street. Unlike the co-operative, eager dracaena mentioned in this other discussion here on the forum, there's no sign yet of any rooting whatsoever.

I've been changing the water every couple of days, but the branchlets are drying out and shedding needles, and i don't know if you can see from the photo, but there's mucus forming over the cut bottoms of the 'cuttings', which suggests the branchlets aren't drawing water... because they're dead.

I wonder if it would be different with cuttings taken from a living tree in the ground.

Or whether trying them in water is the wrong idea and i should re-cut the bottoms and try them in soil. I doubt it at this point – I'm pretty sure they're dead – but next Xmas, maybe....

 

[cpp gardener]

Spruces don't root in water. You need fresh cuttings in Summer and rooting hormone.

 

[Low Altitude]

Aha. Thanks again, CPP. You've saved me wasting another month watering dead twigs!

 

[cpp gardener]

Always happy to be of assistance.

 

[Low Altitude]

Look what I picked up sitting on a sidewalk today:

That thing is about an inch across and came from one of the trees of interest, whether plane or more likely now, Mulberry.

Tell me what you think, everyone, but I'm guessing that what I'm seeing is a desiccated compound husk, empty, that shed its seeds some time ago, maybe last autumn, maybe years ago. Looks pretty dead to me.

I think I'm going to soak it in water overnight then break it up and see if there's anything in the structure that looks like a seed. I'm not hopeful....

 

[cpp gardener]

Actually you've found yet another tree! That's a seed capsule of a Liquidambar, also known as Sweetgum. They turn bright colors in the fall before the leaves drop. The seeds fall out before the capsules drop or immediately after. Look for a maple-leaved tree with opposite leaves or with woody raised 'wings' on the new growth.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Look what I picked up sitting on a sidewalk today:

You should be careful of that

The mulberries I know have a fruit a bit like a raspberry, but bigger and darker. They are delicious when ripe, which is when they are about to fall, a few hours later they are going mushy, which is why you never see them on sale.

 

[Low Altitude]

Actually you've found yet another tree! That's a seed capsule of a Liquidambar, also known as Sweetgum. They turn bright colors in the fall before the leaves drop. The seeds fall out before the capsules drop or immediately after. Look for a maple-leaved tree with opposite leaves or with woody raised 'wings' on the new growth.

Hilarious – wrong yet again! Thank you for setting me straight. I'll look for the parent.

Meanwhile FWIW, I did bisect the seed capsule and just as you say, it seems to have shed all its seeds:

 

[cpp gardener]

That's OK, we all have to learn somehow. You have great teachers here.

 

[Sheal]

You don't seem to be having much luck with the trees Low Altitude, but keep looking your luck will change eventually.

 

[Low Altitude]

You don't seem to be having much luck with the trees Low Altitude, but keep looking your luck will change eventually.

Spring is coming!

There's a particular elm in the park that, two springs ago, showered so many seeds that it looked almost like snow or frost: the seeds are like little 'fried eggs' maybe a centimeter across, kernel in the center and then a flat circular skirt that has presumably evolved to be caught by the wind and improve dissemination. I scooped up a few of them and they were super growers. However the treelets that resulted have been demanding indoors in a pot: they need to be kept extremely moist, it seems, and need sunlight, but have a narrow range of acceptable sunlight, not too much etc. (presumably in nature, they tend grow in the shade of the parent tree.

So we've had a few misadventures. So I wished I had more seeds. So last year i was on the lookout in the spring for the same dense seed drop. But nothing came. Not a one. Fascinating. I did a quick Google and it may be that elms seed more prolifically when it's been either unusually dry or unusually wet. I wonder what this spring will bring.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

All or nothing seems to be a fairly common tree tactic, I have seen it with acorns and beech mast. I get hornbeam, oak and ash self seeding in my garden. Every so often I take one with me and drop it in a suitable place when we go out walking.

 

[Low Altitude]

Interesting. And good for you doing the 'Johnny Appleseed.'

The garden in which I grew up had three mature elms. Lovely, until Dutch Elm Disease came and killed them all. So the chance to try my silly haphazard bonsai on elms has a special feeling.

I will try not to be too disappointed if the ones here don't oblige with seeds this year. The time will come again...

 

[Oliver Buckle]

There was a drive way into a park alongside our house that was lined with elms when I was a child. I climbed them, and the main thing I remember was the smell of them and dark pools in the crevices.

 

[Nasir]

I live in an urban area in hardiness band/zone 7b, where the London plane Platanus acerifolia is common. Because I'm an idiot, I thought it might be fun to try growing a couple from seed. I've had some success in previous years growing thornless honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos and elm Ulmus americana from the seeds that litter the sidewalks hereabouts at the right time of year – hey, they'd only wash down the drains.

So a bit of research indicated that London plane grows seeds that are pretty hard to miss: compound spherical pods that can be over an inch in diameter. Here's a photo from the Wikipedia.

And on the trees:

But: I've been keeping my eyes open for close to two years now, two falls/autumns and two springs, and I've barely seen seed pods on the trees and none at all cast and lying around. So now I'm wondering: might they seed not annually, but every few years, not necessarily a discrete regular interval? And might the seeding event be 'triggered' not just by elapsed time since the last seeding, but by conducive combinations of environmental factors – complete guesswork on my part, but something like maybe there needing to be protracted cold over winter, followed by a warm spring. Or a cool spring. Maybe it likes it wetter or dryer for certain (extended?) periods?

Does anyone even know whether they are 'supposed' to seed in the spring or fall? Some other time?

Any ideas, anyone?

It sounds like you have found an interesting project in growing London plane trees from seed! While it's true that the compound spherical pods can be quite large, it's important to note that the germination rate of London plane seeds can be somewhat low, so it's a good idea to collect as many as possible to increase your chances of success.

Once you have collected the seeds, you will need to prepare them for germination. Start by placing the seeds in a bowl of warm water and allowing them to soak for 24-48 hours. This will help to soften the seed coat and improve germination rates.

After soaking, you can plant the seeds in individual pots filled with a well-draining soil mix. Plant the seeds about 1-2 inches deep and keep the soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged. Place the pots in a warm, bright location, such as a sunny windowsill or under grow lights, and keep the soil temperature around 70-75°F (21-24°C).

It's important to be patient when growing London plane trees from seed, as they can take several weeks or even months to germinate. Once the seedlings have sprouted, you can transplant them into larger pots or directly into the garden. Be sure to give them plenty of space to grow, as London plane trees can get quite large.

Good luck with your project, and have fun watching your London plane trees grow!

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