# Anthurium from seed?



## Hornet (Sep 29, 2010)

My Anthurium scandens has fruit forming. How do i know when its ripe? How do i harvest the seed? How to i prepare the seed? And last, how do i go about sowing the seed?


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

I grow quite a few anthurium species from seed. In the wild the berries get eaten by birds. When the birds eat the soft berry, their bill/beak is coated in the sticky mucus from the fruit and they attempt to wipe it off on a branch or rock. Often, this results in the hard seed getting stuck on the side of a tree, and then you get a happy epiphyte.

When I get fresh seed, I typically squish the berry in my hand and remove the seed. This lessens the chance of the berry pulp rotting and creating fungus or mold problems. Place your seeds on damp epiphyte media (I used a mix of tree fern with a tiny bit of humus) and keep under high humidy and light. In a very short time you should have tons of seedlings to grow out. Also, they berries can be literally squished into cracks and pockets in your terrariums where they should sprout, this can create an awesome natural look since the plant grows in place from the beginning so you often get insane root growth.

You're pretty lucky! I'd love to find quality A. scandens seed here!


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Oh yeah, they're ripe once they get nice and big and easily fall off in your hand. A. scandens is normally bright white or cream colored. In all honesty I've pulled berries of all sizes and levels of ripeness and still got tons of seedlings...


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## Manuran (Aug 28, 2007)

I'm not 100% sure if this is A. scandens or A. trinerve, but I am leaning toward the latter.
Anyway, both are closely related, so your seed (berries) should look similar to this when they are ready. Actually, you can see that some of the berries have fallen already. So if you want every last seed, you should follow the advice already given and try to see if the berries will come off easily.


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## Hornet (Sep 29, 2010)

Thanks guys. The "berries" on mine look a bit different to yours so i'll post up pics shortly just to confirm mine is fruiting.

How many seeds per fruit? 

I've never seen this species offered for sale or even grown here in aus before untill i found a large plant growing at the local botanic gardens so i took a small piece (naughty naughty). It was just finishing flowering when i got it and since then the spathe has been swelling. One or 2 are starting to turn white, shouldnt be much longer then.


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## Hornet (Sep 29, 2010)

Here are the pics, it is fruiting yes?


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Hornet said:


> Here are the pics, it is fruiting yes?


.....and by small piece you mean giant 7-8 inch plant, lol! ;-)


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## Hornet (Sep 29, 2010)

Lol nah its only 5inch with another inch or so of stem under ground. So to confirm, those are fruits?


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Yep it's fruiting....A. scandens also can reportedly self-pollinate, so they are probably viable


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

A. gracilis self pollinates and when it's growing well produces lots of inflorescence + fruit and the seeds sprout readily too.

Gosh I like the look of that A. scandens does anybody know about availability for that one?


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## Hornet (Sep 29, 2010)

Ho many seed per fruit? If i get enough seen and as long as they would still be viable at the end of the trip i'm be happy to help you guys out with some seed.


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## Hornet (Sep 29, 2010)

Didnt take long to ripen, all the fruids on that spathe have turned white and are easily removed, will get sowing today


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