Finding Honey Locust Tree Seed Pods - Propagating Native Trees - April 2022

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On my 2022 to-do list there's a couple of items that have what I'm calling 'crossover appeal'; meaning that there's some intersection between the activities of one item that pay off a second item.  In particular, I'm looking at #7 and #10.  #7 on the list talks about "working trees three ways" - that include planting, measuring and seedlings.  #10 in the list talks about my desire to press ahead with some 'seasonal projects' that includes collecting tree seed pods and attempting to propagate them into seedlings. 

Last year, I came across some Kentucky Coffee Tree seed pods at one of the kid's practices.  After bringing them home, soaking them and getting them started, I ended up with some seedlings.  At the end of the season, I decided to dig the seedling tray into the ground in an attempt to overwinter them.  As of today, they haven't leaf'd out just yet and so I've just left them be in the ground.  I'll dislodge the tray from the ground in the next week or so and see if they spring to life.  

I was planning on trying to work with the Catalpa seed pods that I both STORED (and planted) last Winter - and I still intend to do that.  But, when I was at the KotBT's baseball practice this week, I found some tree seed pods that I couldn't identify.  I picked them up and walked them back to my car where I grabbed my phone.  I put into search:  [purple curly tree seed pods].  Here's what they look like:


What did Google tell me?  That they are Honey Locust seed pods.    

Hmmm...a few pokes around the Web and I discover that you *can* propagate them.  Here's a page from Penn State University that both describes the Honey Locust and how to deal with the seeds.  Turns out, these seeds have a REALLY hard seed coat that you have to deal with before planting.  Sounds like you can use a metal file to shave off part of the coating.  Or...you can use boiling water to remove that coating.   Once you boil them, they're ready to plant.  Since I'm a few weeks away from regular above-freezing temperatures, I'm thinking that I should wait to get started on breaking these down.
Location: Downers Grove, IL, USA

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