Chinese Judas tree (Cercis chinensis) - Seeds

The seeds of the Chinese Judas tree (Cercis chinensis) offer you the opportunity to cultivate a unique, colorful tree in your garden or on your patio. With its bright pink flowers in spring, decorative foliage and robust nature, it is an enrichment for every garden lover.

Sowing instructions

To ensure that the seeds germinate successfully, you should first subject them to a cold treatment (stratification). Here are the most important steps:

1. Stratification: Place the seeds in lukewarm water for about 24 hours to soften the hard seed coat. Then mix them with damp sand or a damp kitchen towel and store them in the fridge (approx. 4 °C) for 4-6 weeks.
2. Sowing: After the cold period, you can plant the seeds in nutrient-rich, loose soil. Press them down lightly and cover them only thinly with substrate.
3. Germination conditions: Keep the soil constantly moist, but avoid waterlogging. The optimum germination temperature range is between 18-22 °C. The first seedlings will appear after 3-6 weeks.
4. Care: As soon as the young plants are big enough, you can transfer them to larger pots or plant them in a sheltered spot outdoors.

Harvest, use & storage

The seeds of the Cercis chinensis develop in flat, bean-like pods. When the pods are brown and dry in the fall, you can harvest them and remove the seeds.

For storage, the seeds should be kept dry and dark in a sealable container. This will keep them viable for up to two years.

Tips and tricks

• The germination rate can be improved by lightly roughening the seed coat with sandpaper.
• Young plants should be protected from heavy frost in the first few years.
• A sunny to semi-shady location ensures lush flowering.
• Cercis chinensis is also suitable as a container plant for terraces and balconies.

Worth knowing

The Chinese Judas tree originally comes from East Asia and belongs to the legume family (Fabaceae). Its pink to purple flowers, which sprout directly from the trunk and branches, are particularly striking - a spectacular natural phenomenon.

In addition to its beauty, it also offers ecological benefits: The flowers attract bees and butterflies, while the leaves turn golden yellow in the fall and provide valuable leaf mulch.