Several years ago, our hyacinth shrubs (Xanthoceras sorbifolium) had a bountiful crop of seeds in the fall. So we decided to try growing some of these lovely plants from seed.
Eventually, xanthoceras grow as high as 15′ feet. The 1″ inch flowers are white with a yellow or red blotch at the petal’s base. These are borne in racemes in May.
The seeds were big fat black shiny fellows, somewhat like horse chestnuts, each with a white dot. They were encased in attractive large green pods which split into four sections.
Wiser Planting Of The Hyacinth Shrub
With visions of rows and rows of these beautiful shrubs, we prepared a cold frame and planted the seeds soon after they had ripened, to our great disappointment. Only a few little plants had appeared by mid-spring.
Investigation showed the reason. The field mice had a glorious time feasting on our daydreams. All that remained were the empty shells!
Somewhat older and wiser the next time, we stored the seeds in dampened sand in the fall. The wooden box we used was mouseproof, and we put it outside for the winter. Roots must freeze before they sprout; frost cracks the shells.
Then in early spring, we prepared large tin cans—the No. 2 1/2 size—by punching many holes in the bottoms.
After filling them with good soil, we inserted the seeds at a depth about three times their diameter. We tied old screens over the tops and sank them in the garden where we wanted the shrubs to grow.
The screen tops can be removed as soon as the seeds germinate; in some cases, this may not be until late summer.
44659 by Pansy M. Barnes