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Cneorum tricoccon

Spurge Olive

Family RutaceaeGenus Cneorum

Three round red fruits joined at the center, beside a small yellow flower, among narrow leathery leaves
FruitTigerenteCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

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

Habit
shrubPlants of the World Online
Flower
YellowishWikipedia
Native range
Baleares, France, Italy, Sicilia, SpainGBIF 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

  • The spurge olive is a small shrub of the western Mediterranean. Its fruit has no food value, but the plant is rich in tannin. Wikipedia: Cneorum tricoccon

This source reports 5 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 25, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on March 24, 2025.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 730 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Gibberellic acid soak

  3. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

about 2 years from start to sowing. Then 12 days to germinate.

43% germination in 10–12 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Cneorum p. 32Public domain
Show the original text
Cneorum (Cneoraceae). C. tricoccon seeds DS 6 m germ. 70 GA-3(28% in 6th w), 70L(10%), 40(6%)-70(3%), and 70D(none). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 70 GA-3 (3/7 in 10-12 d) and 70D(1/6 in 7th w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Cneorum p. 32. 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, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around August 27, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on August 26, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Gibberellic acid soak

  3. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

about 6 months from start to sowing. Then 42 days to germinate.

28% germination in 42 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Cneorum p. 32Public domain
Show the original text
Cneorum (Cneoraceae). C. tricoccon seeds DS 6 m germ. 70 GA-3(28% in 6th w), 70L(10%), 40(6%)-70(3%), and 70D(none). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 70 GA-3 (3/7 in 10-12 d) and 70D(1/6 in 7th w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Cneorum p. 32. 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 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 16, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on February 15, 2025.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 730 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 2 years from start to sowing. Then 49 days to germinate.

17% germination in 49 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Cneorum p. 32Public domain
Show the original text
Cneorum (Cneoraceae). C. tricoccon seeds DS 6 m germ. 70 GA-3(28% in 6th w), 70L(10%), 40(6%)-70(3%), and 70D(none). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 70 GA-3 (3/7 in 10-12 d) and 70D(1/6 in 7th w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Cneorum p. 32. 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 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 17, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 16, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 6 months from start to sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

10% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Cneorum p. 32Public domain
Show the original text
Cneorum (Cneoraceae). C. tricoccon seeds DS 6 m germ. 70 GA-3(28% in 6th w), 70L(10%), 40(6%)-70(3%), and 70D(none). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 70 GA-3 (3/7 in 10-12 d) and 70D(1/6 in 7th w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Cneorum p. 32. 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 5

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 17, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 16, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    3 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 2 run on after germination.

about 6 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2; time not stated, 21 days assumed.

6% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Cneorum p. 32Public domain
Show the original text
Cneorum (Cneoraceae). C. tricoccon seeds DS 6 m germ. 70 GA-3(28% in 6th w), 70L(10%), 40(6%)-70(3%), and 70D(none). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 70 GA-3 (3/7 in 10-12 d) and 70D(1/6 in 7th w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Cneorum p. 32. 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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