Small-leaved Linden Trees Sprouting

This year I am trying to grow a few plants I haven't tried yet.

First, the Small-leaved Lime Tree (A.K.A. Small-leaved Linden Tree, A.K.A. Little-leaf Linden Tree, A.K.A. Tilia cordata). They are beautiful trees, smell wonderful through most of the summer, make a distinct honey, and are the most cold-hardy of Linden trees (hardy to Canadian Zone 3a).

These trees seem to be popular with municipalites because they are low maintenance, they do not drop loads of large leaves over roads, do not bear fruit (attracting bears, skunks, raccoons, etc.), do not drop large hard nuts (so no risk of vehicle damage)--they are everywhere. However, apparently they are notoriously hard to germinate and, even if they do, it may take more than five years.

In any case, I am taking the shotgun approach: collecting as many seeds as possible and hope a few come up this Spring. If other seeds germinate in future years, that will be a bonus. Early September is the recommended time to collect these seeds. The little nutlets should turn from grayish green to light brown. It's a subtle change, but if a few are already falling off the trees by themselves, that's an indication it's time to collect some seeds. There are many Tilia cordata trees around the Lower Mainland, and I am collecting as many as possible from as many different sources as possible. Here's a photo of a nutlet:

And here's a handful of nutlets:

The nutlets are tiny, and the shell is not hard. The outer shell can be peeled off the seed with your fingernails. It is monotonous, time-consuming, intricate work, but not difficult. The result is a handful of seeds:

The seeds are then put in a bowl of water to soak for 24 - 48 hours.
Then they are put in a baggie with sphagnum moss or sand to keep them moist, and stored in the fridge for six months. This Spring, the seeds will be put in small pots of soil, and I'll see what comes up.

Second, the Grey Alder Tree (A.K.A. Speckled Alder, A.K.A. Mountain Alder).

These trees are beautiful, and this variety is one of the most cold-hardy Alder trees I know of (hardy to Canadian zone 1a). In addition, Alder trees are one of the best nitrogen-fixers; in other words, they absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere and emit it into the ground around them--in a sense, providing food to the plants that grow near them.

In July on a trip north to the Bulkley Valley, I collected two baggies of alder cones (A.K.A. strobiles) from different Grey Alder trees growing along a creek. The fact they grow natively in this locale, with their roots right in the water, gives me confidence they are the type of tree that can truly survive cold winters.

I assumed the seeds (also called samara) had already been through their required period of cold-stratification by going through the previous winter. So I just spread the Alder cones on some pots of soil, shook them up, flicked them with my finger to shake out any lingering seeds, and kept them well-watered. Several seeds have germinated. I now have about twelve pots with multiple Alder saplings. I suppose the true test will be how they do over the upcoming winter. This Spring, if they all continue growing well, I will be very happy.

Third, Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea).

These plants are native to Canada, are nitrogen-fixers, are very cold-hardy (hardy to Canadian zone 2a), and produce very healthy berries (but they have to be processed properly). The plants in the photo below are almost three years old. I purchased dormant two-year old trees this Spring, so the present summer is their third year of growth.

Fourth, Black Locust Trees.

Black Locust trees are beautiful, their flowers smell wonderful, fix nitrogen, produce fantastic honey (that supposedly never crystallizes), and is relatively cold-hardy (hardy to Canadian zone 3a).

I collected many seeds from trees around Coquitlam and put them in the ground this past Spring (planted May 13, sprouted May 21). Since then, they have grown significantly, but there is a lot of variation in their growth. Some have grown almost two feet; others are only about one foot tall (I wonder, why the variation?).

So ... I have many plants that are new to me. We'll see how they are this Spring. And when I plant the Tilia cordata, I hope at least a few plants sprout.