I'm assuming you are asking about Calycanthus floridus (Carolina Allspice). Where I live Calycanthus occidentalis grows in the wild. I've had good luck with heeling in cuttings over the winter in a peat/perlite medium. I pot them up in the spring before it gets too hot and dry here. I would think the same should work well with the species native to the South.

Many thanks for the proper identifcation of this shrub. I did a Yahoo search, and found picures of this exact plant.

As a novice to propagation, I am unfamilar with much when it comes in the termnology and differt ways to propagate a particular plant. Is it safe to assume that when one speaks of heeling in cuttings, that we are talking about taking softwood or hard wood cuttings and rooting them inside during the winter months? I have had rotten luck trying to transplant suckers with established roots and have them grow.

Dan

You can grow this from seed. It helps a lot if you crack or file away the end of the seed coat, as they are about the hardest thing you can imagine and will resist germination for over a year if undamaged.

It is one of the neatest seed to watch sprouting, and kids really go wild watching them. The cotelydons come straight up out of the soil, rolled up like a little cigar, and then slowly uncurl into two gigantic fleshy leaves. It's astonishing how big they are.

George

Thanks for the info Geoforce.

I actualy found a picture of a seed pod for this plant. I went out and looked to see if I could find on, green or dried. I am not sure what time of year they are still on the plant. I am thinking of going ahead and trying to take cuttings, and try to root them for plants for spring. Nothing to loose.

I am also considering trying to add soil and nutrients around the young suckers, kind of a modified layering atttempt. Maybe by spring the young plants will be strong enough to move and live as a single tree.

Dan

Calycanthus often sends out suckers near the main plant, and this would be your easiest source of new starts. Take a flat edged spade and sever the attachment to the main plant (don't dig it up, just hop on the shovel and slice the root through). The separated sucker will develop more roots, and the plant can be dug up in the spring, and moved to it's new location.

Thanks for the tip rjm710. I have never considered trying this approach with the suckers. I will give it a try.

Dan

I grow hundreds from seed every year and never scarify (crack/file/abrade) the seed coat. I do cold stratify them for 90 days or so in a ziplock bag in moist vermiculite. When subsequently sown they come up like weeds -- usually near 100% germination.

You can also try tip cuttings, but they tend to defoliate easily, which leads to failure. Seed is incredibly easy, and the plants get big fast, often 2-3 feet tall the first season.

Soeur