Loropetalum chinensis |
Native Region: China; Japan
Zone Range: 7-10
Harvest Date: Thursday 05 January, 2012
Seed count: 12-15
Description:
A little known evergreen member of the witchhazel family. Extremely fragrant white to magenta pink blooms with strap-like fringed petals are borne in profuse display in early spring or late winter. There is occasional bloom throughout the summer. Small 5 cm leaves with fine hair like teeth along the margins. Reaching 2.5 meters tall, it forms plenty of horizontal branches with lots of twiggy growth. Can be grown in a pot and dragged indoors if you climate is cooler than zone 7.
Cultivation:
Not much if any information is available via literature. We will be giving it a Skookum Grow soak as a pre-germination treatment then start the warm stratification process. We are assuming it needs the same warm/cold stratification cycles as other members of the Hamamelidacea family. Seed needs light to germinate. Seed germinates during the cold stratification stage. One source stated that once the seedlings sprouted, they grew very quickly. Judging from all the named varieties available in some specialty nurseries, this is obviously true. Some seed we'll be scarifying before Skookum soaking...perhaps this will reduce the time required as the same treatment for other species reduced germination times by 1/3.
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