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Friday, June 24, 2011

Random plant event: Chlorophytum 'Charlotte' seedlings

Last November, I posted about my Chlorophytum 'Charlotte' forming a seed pod. This was exciting, because I'd had the plant for a couple years by that point, and had never seen a seed pod, plus it meant that maybe I'd get to propagate it. (I don't know anything about 'Charlotte's ancestry, but it could be a hybrid, in which case I'll get seedlings with varying traits, and most of the seedlings won't be as cool as 'Charlotte.')

I don't remember exactly when the first pod split open, but the seeds weren't very promising-looking; they looked basically like very tiny black raisins, and there weren't many of them: only three to a pod, if I remember correctly. I had a lot of space devoted to propagation at the time, and didn't have room to start these, so I wound up throwing them back in the pot with the parent.

And for many months, nothing happened, and I forgot that there were even seeds still in the pot. Then a few days ago, I went to water it and noticed sprouts:


This is something that happens with Chlorophytum x 'Fire Flash' as well; I tried to start some seeds of it a long time ago, and nothing happened, so I gave up and reused the soil. And then everything I repotted with that particular batch of soil had 'Fire Flash' seedlings coming up in it. Chlorophytums are apparently just very slow.

I don't know if anything interesting will come of this, but it's sort of interesting in itself, I suppose.
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5 comments:

  1. HermesJune 24, 2011 at 4:53 AM

    Good luck - really interesting

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sentient MeatJune 24, 2011 at 9:43 AM

    Chlorophytum 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' has a nice look and I admire its vigor and stolon production. But I have hundreds! They are everywhere! I can suppress it, but I can't seem to eliminate it.

    That is cool about the germination, though.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sentient MeatJune 24, 2011 at 10:51 AM

    Hundreds... in the yard that is. Under fruit trees, along the fence, next to the lawn.

    Not hundreds in pots.

    ReplyDelete
  4. IvynettleJune 24, 2011 at 12:19 PM

    Here's my way of getting Chloro seeds to sprout:

    1. sow seeds
    2. wait
    3. wait some more
    4. wait still more
    5. lose patience and go to buy a plant instead
    6. come home and discover the seeds have sprouted!

    Seriously, my 'Fire Flash's sprouted the same week I bought a plant!

    ReplyDelete
  5. PatJune 24, 2011 at 3:26 PM

    Is it possible they were planted too deep? Some seeds germinate when the soil is disturbed. Some poppies and henbanes need light to germinate. I have seen a carpet of opium poppies come up when a building over a hundred years old was demolished and removed.

    Chlorophytums are, clearly, weedy opportunists like the poppy and henbane but with the added benefit of vegetative spread.

    ReplyDelete