Author Topic: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?  (Read 9230 times)

knlim000

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any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« on: February 29, 2020, 11:35:23 AM »
anybody got Katsura fretting in California?  I got these seeds from eBay a few months ago and they are sprouting inside my house now. 
please share your experience and progress with it in CA.  I hear that the entire plant and seeds have health benefits. How do you use it for that?
And how does it taste?  I can't wait to taste this fruit. 


« Last Edit: February 29, 2020, 11:45:10 AM by knlim000 »

knlim000

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2020, 03:49:30 PM »
anyone else got Kadsura coccinea to fruit already from seed?  would love to get some advice as to weather how cold tolerant this plant is.

progress of mine started from seeds.


knlim000

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2020, 05:52:16 PM »
first true leaf emerges.  6.5ys to go before I get to see any fruits.


stuartdaly88

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2020, 06:31:16 PM »
Looking really good!
I have been very interested in this plant for awhile but not much info out there on it. Thank you for the pics I am loving the time incremental documentation 😁
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

elouicious

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2020, 10:52:39 PM »
awesome!

how long did yours take to sprout? I got some coccinea from tradewindsfruit.com but no sprouts yet

knlim000

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2020, 12:15:46 AM »
receive the seeds in Dec. It's pretty slow growing.

Forester

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2020, 12:44:33 AM »
I try to grow it in a greenhouse. It grows very slowly.
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Itay Gazit

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2020, 02:53:59 AM »
I started growing Kadsura this spring as well. Some say it can survive our winters some say it doesn't. We should try.

I live in San Jose

« Last Edit: May 27, 2020, 12:09:38 AM by Itay Gazit »

elouicious

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2020, 07:48:08 PM »
gives me hope something might come up still!

hopefully I can test the hardiness at 9b

knlim000

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2020, 02:54:03 PM »
Forester, at least you got two leaves.

yes, it's promising in 9b/10a. 

this plant is found in southern china and Northern Vietnam. I've been to Northern Vietnam and Sapa  in end of sept 2008 , it was raining for a few days.   I think in Dec, it is cold and soggy. So, it would be similar to SF Bay Area winter climate.

Sapa is beautiful. Here's a pic when I as there tryin to capture the scenic view of the mountain. 


elouicious

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #10 on: June 07, 2020, 01:26:22 PM »
had a sprout come up today!

knlim000

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #11 on: June 07, 2020, 06:28:28 PM »
make sure you got 2 plants for them mate.  They are super slow but they do make great house plants.

elouicious

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #12 on: June 08, 2020, 08:10:04 PM »
thanks knlim!

 I got some seeds from tradewindsfruit.com and they appear to be out now so I will have to hope that another one pops!

I assume they are dioecious or just fruit better with two?

knlim000

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #13 on: June 08, 2020, 09:27:45 PM »
I read somewhere that it requires two plant to bear fruit.  Kinda like snake fruit thing.

I think there is hope that some are still sprouting for you.  Some of mine sprouted about 3-6weeks apart.  So, keep an eye on them.

Mandarin

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #14 on: June 12, 2020, 01:53:32 PM »
The plant looks great. would love to see you updating. I am 20min north form you and curious if it could work here.

W.

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #15 on: June 17, 2020, 05:02:53 PM »
I too bought some Kadsura coccinea seeds from Trade Winds to see if I could add this plant to my collection. The package was billed as having five seeds; it came with eight, which made me pleased. I can tell everyone that they germinate very slowly. I ordered these seeds on April 12 and received and planted them about a week later. I have three seeds which have germinated, which they did not do at exactly the same time and gives me hope the other five are just taking their time. None of them have formed anything other than their cotyledon, and those can take almost a couple of weeks to break through the seed coat and fully form. Their growth rate must increase greatly as they age and become more established. At their current growth rate, it would take seven decades for them to fruit, instead of seven years.

If the flavor of Kadsura coccinea is similar to Kadsura heteroclita, which I first heard of from the Weird Explorer review (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jb2RvX3vVs), then it is worth growing, no matter how slowly it grows.

elouicious

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #16 on: June 17, 2020, 06:44:28 PM »
Thanks for checking in W.

glad to know i might have a few more come up

W.

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #17 on: August 07, 2020, 12:34:49 AM »
I had a fourth seed germinate, at least three weeks after the third one. The final four seeds were either non-viable or failed due to too much water. Seedlings two and three also died, though I am not exactly sure why. I tried to make sure their soil was not kept overly moist, and their cotyledons (neither developed actual leaves) started to discolor before their stems, so it was not damping off. I think they might be susceptible to leaf diseases relating to moist, still air (which is just about all the air there is in an Alabama summer), as I kept them in a covered area of my yard sheltered from wind, rain, and any creatures that might want to eat them. I have moved both remaining seedlings into a more exposed area for some air movement. The first seedling is doing well (it seemed unfazed by the same conditions that killed the two other seedlings) but still growing very slowly, with one perfect leaf and the beginning signs of two more. I have my fingers crossed that I have gotten lucky and that first seedling is monoecious.

W.

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #18 on: September 12, 2020, 06:05:07 PM »
My two surviving seedlings are both doing well. They like their current location, with more sun and air movement, much better than where I had them previously. It still does not appear that this species grows particularly quickly.

I found this page on Kadsura coccinea on Dave's Garden: https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/243113/. Here is what one grower said about the species, which also has the common name Hei Lao Hu.

Quote
On Aug 27, 2017, Ted_B from Birmingham, AL (Zone 8a) wrote:

This climber is indigenous to subtropical and tropical areas of SE Asia, and is a close relative of Schisandra sp. These woody vines tend to inhabit forested areas of South China and North Vietnam from 400-1900m, favoring a well-drained, but consistently moist environment, and shelter from prolonged direct sun. Like other members of the Kadsura and Schisandra genera, this species often appears as dioecious, but is actually monoecious, and produces a bizarre looking fruit that is alleged to be of medicinal value. Paleobotany reveals distribution members of the genera being more widespread in temperate areas prior to the last ice age, so some winter hardiness is expected. At least one report claims this species winter hardy to at least Zone 7.

Fresh seed obtained from Taiwan germinated while en route. The remainder were soaked overnight and kept in a moist paper towel at room temperature (75F - 25C). Seedlings seem to appreciate indirect lighting or dappled sun, with moderate soil moisture and constant humidity.

Since I only have two seedlings and do not know when I might be able to get more, I am not going to test whether they can survive a Zone 7 winter.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2020, 03:46:20 AM by W. »

Forester

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #19 on: September 13, 2020, 01:30:42 AM »
My plants look good today. Cold weather is approaching in Russia and I'm going to move the plants to pots and clean them in a warm room. In total, I have grown 6 pieces.

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W.

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #20 on: September 13, 2020, 04:09:39 AM »
My plants look good today. Cold weather is approaching in Russia and I'm going to move the plants to pots and clean them in a warm room. In total, I have grown 6 pieces.


Congratulations, your plants do look good. Mine are about the same size as yours were in your May photographs. Mine sprouted in late May-early June, so in another 3-4 months, hopefully mine will be as tall and vigorous as yours.

Forester

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #21 on: September 13, 2020, 10:22:23 AM »
Someone knows for sure whether this plant is dioecious or monoecious? There is a lot of conflicting information on the Internet.
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FruitFly

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #22 on: September 13, 2020, 05:42:57 PM »
Someone knows for sure whether this plant is dioecious or monoecious? There is a lot of conflicting information on the Internet.

This plant can be either/or, hence the confusion. Typically they are dioecious but occasionally they produce a monoecious plant from seed. Always best to plant 3-5 to increase your chances of pollination. Look at their close cousins Shisandra chinensis, same story there, but there is a cultivar named Eastern Prince that is self fertile.

I have some very slow growing seedlings that I sprouted outside here in the Bay Area. They have survived a few winters outdoors here where temperatures get into the thirties on some nights in the winter. With most nights in the winter averaging in the mid 40’s. They’ve remained seedling size the whole time only getting up to 5 leaves. I recently potted some up to see if container size had something to do with their restrained growth. I’m seeing a lot of new growth now but it could be the fresh soil and nutrients or the roominess of their new container.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2020, 06:29:50 PM by FruitFly »

Forester

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #23 on: October 23, 2020, 03:27:53 AM »
Hey guys, how does your kadsura look today? At the end of August I transplanted 5 of my plants into pots and now they are growing very slowly.


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NateTheGreat

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Re: any kadsura coccinea successfully planted ?
« Reply #24 on: October 23, 2020, 04:07:18 PM »
Forester I'm not sure that is a Kadsura. I don't have coccinea, but I have a japonica and a couple of heteroclita. Heteroclita is supposed to look very similar to coccinea. They need more shade than I give them, but this heteroclita in a shady spot is starting to do well. I had a couple of flowers on japonica, but no fruit set.