Dear Etsy Fans, Please find for sale 25 fresh Cercis Siliquastrum seeds better known as The Judas Tree or Mediterranean Redbud. (According to myth Judas Iscariot hanged himself from this species, causing its white flowers to turn red. However, it is more likely a corrupted derivation from the French Arbre de Jude meaning tree of Judea referring to the hilly regions of Judea in modern day Israel) ALL ORDERS RECEIVED BEFORE 8PM WILL BR DISPATCHED SAME DAY SAVE PACKAGING MATERIALS - SEE OTHER INTERESTING & UNUSUAL SEEDS & PLANTS in MY SHOP Cercis Siliquastrum is an upright, deciduous shrub or small tree with profuse, densely-clustered, small magenta flowers that arise before the foliage in spring. The blossoms covers almost the entire tree producing a spectacular display lasting for several weeks. The large, heart-shaped, glossy green leaves, are tinted red-purple as they unfurl - hence the name. As summer turns to autumn, the foliage slowly turns to yellows & browns with the dangling seed pods looking particularly interesting & attractive to birds. The tree is hardy to UK Zone 6 - which means that they can be grown is a sunny well-drained spot just about everywhere in the UK. The tree can be planted directly or used a stunning container plant. There is also the added bonus that the blossoms are are the equivalent of nirvana for bees & other insects! Seed Germination 1) Place the seeds in a heat proof container & pour hot (near boiling) water over them & leave them to soak for between 24 hours. Seeds that have been successfully pre-treated will have swollen to around 2-3 times their previous size. 2) Remove all swollen seeds as these will be damaged by further pre treatments. These seeds can be placed in a plastic bag & placed in the fridge for temporary storage. This hot water treatment can be repeated up to 3 times, making the water a little hotter each time. 3) Next the seeds require a cold period to break the final part of their natural dormancy - mixing the seeds with a free draining mix of moist compost in plastic bag a place the bag in the fridge for 7-10 days. 4) Check during this period - If any seeds germinate remove them from the bag & carefully plant them up. 5) Sow individually spaced in pots/trays of good quality compost (ideally 50% compost & vermiculite or horticultural sand. 6) Cover them with a thin layer of compost no more than 5 mm deep 7) Seeds usually germinates from a week to 10 days at 15-20oc. Do not allow to temperature to rise above this. 8) The roots are delicate & seedlings should be individually potted up as soon as possible since plants quickly become intolerant of root disturbance. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late summer if they have made sufficient growth, otherwise in late spring of the following year. Olly’s General Guide to Seed Sowing! I love sowing seeds & it runs in the family - dad, grandad & finally my great-grandad for whom the hobby helped him get over his experiences in the
