Coastal sage from seed 🌱
Problem statement
I see the Coastal Sage plants I'd like to grow when I'm hiking. These notes capture my experiments trying to grow them from seed.
Coffeeberry
Getting seed is easy. Bushes off Skyline produced a large amount of fruit this October.
The USDA Plant Guide (pdf) indicates growing Coffeeberry from seed is relatively straightforward.
I've sown some seed directly. I might also try "cold stratification" and starting the seed in pots.🤞
Madrone
My house is in between several tall buildings, so I need a tree that tolerates some shade and is vertically oriented and relatively slender.
Pacific madrone fits this description and is one of my favorite trees. It's like a 50 foot manzanita. We're so lucky to live in an area where it grows natively.
The USDA's Plant Guide (pdf) has an excellent entry for Madrone, which includes food and medicinal usages and propogation instructions.
The Madrone trees off Skyline were producing fruit in October this year.
I'm soaking the fruit to remove the flesh and then I'll dry and cold stratify the seeds.
Manzanita
Common manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzanita) appears to be heavily adapted to California's wildfires. Per the USDA Plant Guide (pdf) and Backyard Gardener, the plants are fireprone and the seeds require fire for germination.
The Manzanita trees off Skyline had mature fruit in October this year.
I've tried directly sowing some seed.🤞