FREE: Eastern Redbud Tree seeds (10)

Here are the growing instructions: http://www.ehow.com/how_8075589_grow-redbud-trees-seed.html
How to Grow Redbud Trees From Seed
By Phoebe Strauss, eHow Contributor

Redbud (Cercis Canadensis) is a 30-foot-tall ornamental tree native to the eastern United States. The deciduous plant produces a profusion of pink blossoms early in spring before the leaves unfurl. The tree's young foliage is red, changing to dark green in the summer. Redbud seeds grow inside pods in late summer to fall. Protected by a hard shell, the seeds require treatment before the embryo inside breaks out of dormancy and sprouts.

Difficulty:
Easy

Instructions
Things You'll Need

Heatproof bowl
Sand
Plastic bag
Hoe
Pickax
Shovel
Rake
Loppers


Collect the seedpods form a redbud tree after they turn brown in the fall. Set them on a counter to air dry.
2

Break the pods by hand when they become brittle, and remove the seeds.
3

Place the redbud seeds in a heatproof bowl. Cover the seeds with boiling water and let them soak for one minute. This is one method of seed scarification, which makes the hard seed coat permeable.
4

Place a handful of sand in a plastic bag. Moisten it without creating a soggy environment inside.
5

Add the scarified redbud seeds to the bag of moist sand. Close the bag and store it in a refrigerator for five to eight weeks. This seed treatment is known as stratification, which takes the embryos out of dormancy. Check the moisture level inside the bag once a week, sprinkling the sand with water when it begins to dry.

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6

Hoe the planting site to remove weeds. Redbuds thrive in shade, but sunlight affords them the best blooming. If possible, sow the seeds where the tree will have some shade during the hottest part of the day. Select a site that drains within one hour of irrigation or normal rainfall.
7

Loosen the soil with a pickax and shovel and smooth the surface with a rake. Dig a furrow ¼-inch deep for three to five seeds. Planting more than one seed increases the odds that one will germinate. Thin the seedlings to the ones you want to keep after they begin to germinate. Because redbud trees don't transplant well, direct sowing is a better option to increase the survival rate over germinating the seeds in pots.
8

Irrigate the seeds at planting and maintain moist soil throughout germination. Hydrate the plants to the root zone when the soil surface begins to dry. Redbud trees are tolerant of drought but perform best when the ground stays consistently moist during hot summers.
9

Examine the tree's branches regularly. Remove broken, diseased and dead wood, using a pair of loppers.

like it, keep f&w

This is my very favorite tree. I have eaten my way through a whole grove of these when they are in bloom. If you dry them, they retain their vivid color and they look great tossed in a salad. The fresh blooms are sweet and crunchy like a sweet pea pod tastes. Yummmmmm.