The Centenary College Arboretum is participating in a pyramid magnolia germination project organized by an international team, the Global Conservation Consortium for Magnolia, headed by the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Your arboretum curator has taken on custody of 15 seeds collected from pyramid magnolias (Magnolia pyramidata) growing in east Texas. The seeds were initially collected in August by a group working out of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. In September, we at the Centenary College arboretum agreed to join the germination effort. Our 15 seeds arrived at the campus post office on February 17th, and we potted them the following day. The Seed Propagation Protocol forwarded by the Consortium tells us that seeds from a 2025 germination project had a high germination rate and sprouted, on average, 53 days after sown. Consequently we can expect seedlings to pop up around April 12th.
We received a total of 15 seeds, separated into three different bags. Each bag was marked with a number.
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| In one bag, we received 6 seeds, pictured in the above photo, with an identifying number: SB-20250563. We also received two additional bags, one with 4 seeds and another with 5 seeds. |
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| Each seed has its own 3-inch pot to call home. |
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| Seeds measure ¼ inch in length. |
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| Our 15 pots are organized in three groups. We are hoping for 15 seedlings! |
You can find more information about the project organizers by following these links:
