Germination temperature
Warm: over 90% germination at alternating 20/25, 20/30 and 25/30 °C (68-86 °F).
Visit deodar-seeds.in Shrub growing guide
Yellow bells is a fast, drought-tolerant flowering shrub that germinates within days in warm, bright conditions and can bloom in its second year. It also spreads easily from seed and is a declared invasive plant in some countries.
Warm: over 90% germination at alternating 20/25, 20/30 and 25/30 °C (68-86 °F).
Surface or a very light cover; the seed is thin and papery.
About 3-8 days.
Light speeds and evens out germination, especially in strong heat.
None needed.
Sow in trays or pots; seedlings transplant easily.
The seeds are flat, papery and winged. Sow them flat on the surface of the mix, a few to a pot or spaced out in a tray, and press them in gently.
Not needed. The thin seed coat takes up water readily.
Not needed. This is a tropical species with no cold requirement.
Not needed. Seed germinates within days on moist mix. Dry seed stores well for months in cool, dry conditions.
Keep the pots between about 20 and 30 °C (68-86 °F). In India this is easy most of the year outdoors in shade; in cooler climates use a warm windowsill or heated propagator.
Leave the seed on the surface or cover it with only a light dusting of fine mix or sand to hold it in place.
Any light, well-drained seed mix.
Keep the surface moist until seedlings appear; mist rather than flood so the light seeds do not wash out.
Give bright, indirect light. In a study, seeds kept dark at 25/30 °C partly stopped germinating until they were moved into light.
High germination in about three days in light and about five to eight days with less light.
Move seedlings to individual pots once they are large enough to handle; they transplant easily.
Plant out in full sun in any well-drained soil, clay to sand, acid or alkaline. Allow room: mature plants can reach about 3-9 m (10-30 ft) tall and as wide, unless kept pruned.
Water young plants until established, then only in long dry spells. Seedlings usually flower within about two years.
Cause: seed buried too deep or kept dark in strong heat. Fix: sow on the surface with a light cover and keep the tray bright.
Cause: wet, poorly drained mix. Fix: use a free-draining mix and water lightly.
Cause: no formative pruning. Fix: prune young plants to a strong framework and cut back after flowering flushes.
Cause: wind-blown seed from ripe pods. Fix: cut off seed pods before they split and pull unwanted seedlings while small.
Yellow bells is invasive and not recommended in Florida, a prohibited Category 1b invader in South Africa, and an environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales. Do not plant it where it is restricted or near natural bushland and riverbanks.
Once established it survives on rainfall alone and needs little feeding; rich, wet soil only adds soft growth.
It flowers mainly in spring and autumn with some bloom year-round, producing flowers on each flush of new growth.
A single plant produces many light, wind-dispersed seeds. Deadheading or removing pods keeps the shrub tidy and stops it seeding into neighbouring land.
Sow yellow bells on the surface in warmth and light for a fast-flowering, drought-tolerant shrub.
Very fast in warmth: most seeds sprout within three to eight days at 20-30 °C (68-86 °F) in light.
In some places, yes. It is restricted in South Africa, not recommended in Florida and an environmental weed in parts of eastern Australia and many Pacific islands. Check your local rules and remove seed pods to limit spread.
Usually within about two years from sowing.
Yes, while young. It is a fast shrub that can reach 3 m (10 ft) or more, so prune it regularly and move it to a large container or the ground as it grows; in frost-prone climates bring it indoors for winter, since it is hardy only in frost-free areas (USDA zones 10b-11).