Trillium Seed

[Susan Band]

I was clearing out a lot of old very weedy seed trays and came across Trillium seed germinating. Strange thing was it was from 2008 up until 2011 placed in various locations and all the seed was at the same stage. I have just spent the day picking off the top layer of weeds/ weed seed and moss so that I can move it into the frost free tunnel and look forward to the green shoots coming up in the spring 
Susan

[Lesley Cox]

I believe it! Seed from 2006 - 2008 has germinated here this year, having spent up to 6 years under a thick layer of wet gumtree leaves. These leaves are beastly. They remain for years without rotting down but it seems so long as they're wet, they still make an effective mulch.

[Paul T]

I think I've had the same this year, but I wasn't quite believing it until Lesley mentioned hers germinating.  I had suspicions, but I think now that they're well founded.  I'd have to check dates on the pots, but I think some of these might even predate 2006.  I've been trying to work out whether any Trilliums had produced seed in there in the meantime, and I just can't come up with any that have.  They're in more than one pot too.  I'd had some 3 or 4 years later, but I think these are quite a bit older than that.

[Susan Band]

I love the way seeds know when to germinate, no matter how we try to tame them the just do it when they want.
These trays were just lying about and were on their last warning  They have gone through cold winters, wet winters, drying out in summer, everything neglect can throw at them and still they germinate all at the same time.
Susan

[Paul T]

I checked and the particular pot I had the main germination in this year was from 2002!    If it had just been that one I would have thought some seed had somehow fallen into there, but there were a few pots throughout my shadehouse that had germination this year after a number of years.

[John Aipassa]

How wonderful nature's ways are to keep the species going.

[Peppa]

So how many years do you keep the empty-looking trillium pots before you give up, everyone? I have quite a few of them.

[Susan Band]

Hi peppa,
Have a look at the seed and if you can see it and it is light brown and hard there is still a chance of germination. If it is dark brown and squishy it has rotted. As Paul shows 10 years and there is still a chance. You might hit it lucky one year and they all germinate together. The seed is big enough for you pick it out and move it into new pots without weeds unless you are one of these people who manage to keep their seed pots weed free 
Susan

[Garden Prince]

I keep them 5 or 6 years and then give up. Moss and weeds become usually problems if pots are more than  two years in my sowing frame so I remove the top layer and replace it with new sowing compost and fine grid. I sow Trillium seeds reasonably deep so this can be done without accidental removal of seeds.

Two weeks ago germination of Trillium seeds (Western sessile hybrids) from Robin Callens, seeds sown in August 2011:

[Peppa]

Hi Susan, I guess that it makes sense to check the seeds once in a while to make sure they are still viable... But I was lazy enough to leave the pots on my seedling shelves without checking them. I had almost forgotten them until I had to make room to put new seedling pots in the propagation area, and I noticed that some seeds from 2009 finally had just started to germinate... I guess this is much better than 2006! Unfortunately, though, I am running out of space but I can't throw things away if there is a chance that the seeds are still good...

[Peppa]

Five or six years' wait for germination... Hmmm... I guess we all have to take care of ourselves to make sure to live long enough to see the flowers!

[Tony Willis]

At the other extreme I collected a couple of completely unripe pods of Trillium ovatum in July 2011 and on getting home split them and the seeds were white and soft. I sowed them at once and they had germinated by early January 2012

Looking good now but not yet flowering size!