Poncirus from seed

[johnw]

A month or so ago we evenly (at least we think we did) sowed seed of Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon'.  A nasty thing if there ever was one, it has stiffly weeping branches and curved thorns the size of a finger.  They really take a chunk out of you when walking by or snag that favourite shirt or sweater and won't let go.  Most of the seeds are up but some appear to have sprouted double shoots.  Is this normal or have the seeds drifted together in pairs from watering?  They were about an inch down.

Another nasty, by the way, is a Puya sp. we have, maybe chilensis. Someone came to visit and it latched onto her sweater and she almost walked off with it clay pot and all.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

A month or so ago we evenly (at least we think we did) sowed seed of Poncirus trifolata 'Flying Dragon'.  A nasty thing if there ever was one, it has stiffly weeping branches and curved thorns the size of a finger.  They really take a chunk out of you when walking by or snag that favourite shirt or sweater and won't let go.

.... and you want babies of this Korean hooligan.... WHY??  Okay the flowers are quite nice, I think it's scented, isn't it? But why would you want this dangerous maniac -- are you tring to corner the market in plant protection systems? 

[Brian Ellis]

Heavily scented but also lethal

[Robert G]

John,

This does not help with your question, but it might appeal to the plant lover in all of us. I had been married for a few months and we went to visit a friend south of Toronto. He had a beautiful large potted specimen of 'Flying Dragon' that was well grown and well pruned. A great tree in a pot...vaguely bonsai.  He offered it to me and I was touched. I was calmly and quietly told that it was either the plant or my wife in the car making the trip home to Ottawa, not both. I later discovered that the only reason I was being offered the plant was that his new girlfriend, now wife, wanted it gone. He still has it. I am still married, but I really think that we could have found room for it in the downtown one bedroom appartment we had at the time. Just had to move the other plants around a bit...

Robert

[johnw]

John,

This does not help with your question, but it might appeal to the plant lover in all of us. I had been married for a few months and we went to visit a friend south of Toronto. He had a beautiful large potted specimen of 'Flying Dragon' that was well grown and well pruned. A great tree in a pot...vaguely bonsai.  He offered it to me and I was touched. I was calmly and quietly told that it was either the plant or my wife in the car making the trip home to Ottawa, not both. I later discovered that the only reason I was being offered the plant was that his new girlfriend, now wife, wanted it gone. He still has it. I am still married, but I really think that we could have found room for it in the downtown one bedroom appartment we had at the time. Just had to move the other plants around a bit...

Robert

Robert - You have a very wise wife.

'Flying Dragon' is a very architectural beast though, as Brian says great fragrance and amazing late little oranges on it.  It's said they graft citrus on it for improved hardiness.

johnw

[Diane Whitehead]

And you're going to graft citrus on this beast?

Citrus seeds will often produce two or more seedlings, though I don't know whether Poncirus does.  With Citrus, one seedling is the result of pollination, and the others are nucellar - identical to the mother.

 A few people fruit the hardier citrus here, up against a fence.  I have bought plants from them but have not been successful, so now I'm sowing seeds from any citrus I eat.  I have Japanese oranges, lemons, kumquats, limequats.  I'm hoping a few do well.  At least it is not costing me anything, and I'm eating a wider range of citrus than I usually do.

[Brian Ellis]

It's said they graft citrus on it for improved hardiness.

I was told once that all commercial varieties owe their existence to being grafted on Poncirus, how true that is I don't know.

[Casalima]

I have several citrus trees from http://www.agrumes-baches.com/ and I sometimes have to trim off Poncirus sprouting from the base of many of them.