Have you ever seen osmanthus seeds? Collect osmanthus seeds and plant them the following year, and they will grow into small osmanthus trees.

The osmanthus tree does produce seeds, but not every osmanthus tree you see will have visible seeds. Osmanthus has an intense fragrance and is deeply loved by everyone, and many friends like to plant it in their courtyards or homes. You may see osmanthus trees setting seed, and Science Xingnong states clearly here that osmanthus tree seeds can be harvested and used to propagate small osmanthus seedlings.

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There is a poem that goes, "In the mountain temple under the moon I seek osmanthus seeds, on the pavilion pillow I watch the tidal head." The "osmanthus seeds" mentioned in the line are exactly the seeds produced by the osmanthus tree. Generally speaking, the pistils or stamens of present-day osmanthus trees are not fully developed, making double fertilization difficult and naturally making seed production difficult as well, while some osmanthus trees do set seed normally and are called seed osmanthus. Below is an introduction to some aspects of harvesting osmanthus seeds.

Harvest time

Osmanthus seeds generally mature in early June, when the seed coat gradually changes from green to blue-black, which means the fruit is gradually ripening, and some seeds that ripen faster will even fall from the tree to the ground. At this point you can simply pick up the fallen seeds or pick the seeds from the tree.

Seed processing

When you bring the harvested osmanthus seeds home, you will find that some cracked seeds have sticky flesh. If they are piled together just like that, within three to five days they will rot and grow mold, losing their usefulness. Therefore, you can mix the seeds with sand and mud and rub them to wash away the flesh.

Seed storage

The storage of osmanthus seeds differs somewhat from that of other seeds. After being washed clean, osmanthus seeds can be mixed evenly with sandy soil; note that the moisture content of the sandy soil should not be too high, just enough that it forms a ball when squeezed in the hand and breaks apart when the hand is released. Throughout the entire storage period, the sandy soil must be kept moist, avoiding dryness. In winter, take special care that the humidity of the sandy soil is not too high, otherwise it will freeze and cause frost damage to the seeds.

Sowing

After a long period of storage, the seeds can be sown the following spring. Prepare a few weeks before sowing by increasing the humidity of the sandy soil to provide conditions for seed germination. Once the osmanthus seeds show small sprouts, you can consider sowing them.

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