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Cercocarpus betuloides

Birch-leaf Mahogany · California Mountain Mahogany · Mountain Mahogany

Family RosaceaeGenus Cercocarpus

Clusters of small yellow-green flowers without petals, along a stem of round deeply veined leaves
FlowerUnknown authorUnknown authorPublic domain

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
shrub or treePlants of the World Online
Flower
WhiteWikipedia
Native range
Arizona, California, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, OregonGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Not a true mahogany. Cercocarpus means fruit with a tail, from the feathery, tail-like style still attached to each seed. Mountain mahoganies have extremely hard reddish-brown wood. Wikipedia: Cercocarpus betuloides

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 14 days to germinate.

85% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Cercocarpus p. 116Public domain
Show the original text
Cercocarpus (Rosaceae). C. betuloides germ. 70D(85% in 2nd w) and 40(75% in 2-4 w). Light or GA-3 had no effect.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Cercocarpus p. 116. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

Germination happens during step 1, in 28 days.

75% germination in 14–28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Cercocarpus p. 116Public domain
Show the original text
Cercocarpus (Rosaceae). C. betuloides germ. 70D(85% in 2nd w) and 40(75% in 2-4 w). Light or GA-3 had no effect.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Cercocarpus p. 116. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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