Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Pourthiaea villosa

Oriental Photinia

Family RosaceaeGenus Pourthiaea

Small scarlet berries clustered on thin twigs along a smooth gray branch, in bare winter woodland.
FruitDaderotPublic domain

About the plant

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

The plant

Habit
ShrubExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
shrub or treePlants of the World Online
Height
8-15 ft2.4-4.6 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
8-12 ft2.4-3.7 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
WhiteExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
FallExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Assam, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Japan and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
4-7Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
ClayExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good DrainageExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

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

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Christmas berry, or oriental photinia, comes from eastern Asia. It was introduced to the United States fairly recently, probably as a garden plant, and has escaped to become increasingly invasive in northern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and parts of Virginia and New York. Wikipedia: Pourthiaea villosa

Three sources report 8 treatments between them. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 18, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 18 days.

100% germination in 9–18 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Photinia p. 54Public domain
Show the original text
Photinia (Rosaceae). Data on P. villosa is now complete. Seeds germ. 40-70D(100% 9-18 d) and 70D-40(30% in 12th w)-70D(70% on 2nd d) confirming the _ earlier conclusion that the blocking mechanism requires 3 m at 40 after which it germinates at either 40 or 70. Seeds DS 1 y germ. 40(96% in 7-16 w) and 70D- 40(16% in 12th w)-70D(84% in 2-6 d). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(33% in 12th w)- 70D(43% in 2-21 d) and 70D(none).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Photinia p. 54. 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, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 15, 2026 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on December 14, 2025.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

about 12 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 112 days.

96% germination in 49–112 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Photinia p. 54Public domain
Show the original text
Photinia (Rosaceae). Data on P. villosa is now complete. Seeds germ. 40-70D(100% 9-18 d) and 70D-40(30% in 12th w)-70D(70% on 2nd d) confirming the _ earlier conclusion that the blocking mechanism requires 3 m at 40 after which it germinates at either 40 or 70. Seeds DS 1 y germ. 40(96% in 7-16 w) and 70D- 40(16% in 12th w)-70D(84% in 2-6 d). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(33% in 12th w)- 70D(43% in 2-21 d) and 70D(none).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Photinia p. 54. 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, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 2, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 1, 2025.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    16 germinated in this phase.

  4. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 1.5 years from start to step 4. Germination happens during step 4, in 6 days.

84% germination in 2–6 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Photinia p. 54Public domain
Show the original text
Photinia (Rosaceae). Data on P. villosa is now complete. Seeds germ. 40-70D(100% 9-18 d) and 70D-40(30% in 12th w)-70D(70% on 2nd d) confirming the _ earlier conclusion that the blocking mechanism requires 3 m at 40 after which it germinates at either 40 or 70. Seeds DS 1 y germ. 40(96% in 7-16 w) and 70D- 40(16% in 12th w)-70D(84% in 2-6 d). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(33% in 12th w)- 70D(43% in 2-21 d) and 70D(none).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Photinia p. 54. 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, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 6, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 5, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    30 germinated in this phase.

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 6 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 2 days.

70% germination in 2 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Photinia p. 54Public domain
Show the original text
Photinia (Rosaceae). Data on P. villosa is now complete. Seeds germ. 40-70D(100% 9-18 d) and 70D-40(30% in 12th w)-70D(70% on 2nd d) confirming the _ earlier conclusion that the blocking mechanism requires 3 m at 40 after which it germinates at either 40 or 70. Seeds DS 1 y germ. 40(96% in 7-16 w) and 70D- 40(16% in 12th w)-70D(84% in 2-6 d). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(33% in 12th w)- 70D(43% in 2-21 d) and 70D(none).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Photinia p. 54. 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, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 16, 2026 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on December 15, 2024.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 730 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    33 germinated in this phase.

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 2 years from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 21 days.

43% germination in 2–21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Photinia p. 54Public domain
Show the original text
Photinia (Rosaceae). Data on P. villosa is now complete. Seeds germ. 40-70D(100% 9-18 d) and 70D-40(30% in 12th w)-70D(70% on 2nd d) confirming the _ earlier conclusion that the blocking mechanism requires 3 m at 40 after which it germinates at either 40 or 70. Seeds DS 1 y germ. 40(96% in 7-16 w) and 70D- 40(16% in 12th w)-70D(84% in 2-6 d). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(33% in 12th w)- 70D(43% in 2-21 d) and 70D(none).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Photinia p. 54. 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 6

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 22, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 14 days.

100% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Photinia p. 65Public domain
Show the original text
Photinia (Rosaceae). P. villosa has been restudied and germ. 40-70D(100% in 2nd w) in contrast to an earlier sample that germ. 40(90% in 10-12 w). "me two patterns are not that different as both show that the blocking mechanism requires 2-3 m at 40 to be destroyed.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Photinia p. 65. 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 7

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 11, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

Germination happens during step 1, in 84 days.

90% germination in 70–84 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Photinia p. 65Public domain
Show the original text
Photinia (Rosaceae). P. villosa has been restudied and germ. 40-70D(100% in 2nd w) in contrast to an earlier sample that germ. 40(90% in 10-12 w). "me two patterns are not that different as both show that the blocking mechanism requires 2-3 m at 40 to be destroyed.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Photinia p. 65. 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 8

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 6, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 5, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 77°F 25°C Light: dark

about 6 months from start to sowing. Then 2 days to germinate.

36% germination in 2 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Photinia p. 192Public domain
Show the original text
Photinia (Rosaceae). P. villosa germ. 40(90% in 10-12 w)-70(10% in 1-7 d), 70D(none), and 95% in March and April when started outdoors in November. It is likely that germinaton at 40 would have been 100% if the time had been extended beyond 3 m. DS is detrimental. Seeds DS 6 m at 70 germ. 70-40(20%)-70(80% on 2nd d) and 40(36% in 6-9 w)-70-40(18%)77D(36% on 2nd d). Treatment with GA-3 did not change the pattern but reduced germination to 70-40-70(65%).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Photinia p. 192. 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

Add to My Garden

View species page