Mendel’s Gardens

Washingtonia filifera

California Fan Palm

Family ArecaceaeGenus Washingtonia

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
Perennial, TreePLANTS Database
Native range
Native to the lower 48 statesPLANTS Database
Note
The seed coat slows germination rather than stopping it: 75% comes up without any help.Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed.

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno.

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Nick or sand the seed coat

    Puncture the seed coat.

  2. Sow and cover

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 14 days to germinate.

100% germination in 14 days.

Every seed, in a fortnight. Deno gives no temperature for either treatment.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, WashingtoniaPublic domain
Show the original text
Washingtonia (Palmaceae). W. filifera seeds germ. 100% in 2nd w if punctured and 75% in 3rd w otherwise. The seed coat impedes germination, but the effect is not as striking as in most examples of impervious seed coats.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Washingtonia. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.

75% germination in 21 days.

75% with nothing done to it: the coat slows this palm rather than stopping it.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, WashingtoniaPublic domain
Show the original text
Washingtonia (Palmaceae). W. filifera seeds germ. 100% in 2nd w if punctured and 75% in 3rd w otherwise. The seed coat impedes germination, but the effect is not as striking as in most examples of impervious seed coats.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Washingtonia. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.