Ilex Serrata - What Age Do They Fruit?

[Pearcy001]

Hey all,

Chasing experience from people that have propagated Ilex Serrata from seed before or are aware what age they start to flower.

I have around 60-80 propagated from seed last year. As with anyone growing Ilex Serrata, all I want to do is to find out which are female.

I read somewhere they won't flower/fruit until a couple years old and well established, can anyone share some first hand experience with this? Wondering how patient I need to be.

Fingers crossed for 80-90% female haha.

Cheers,
Pearcy.

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[PeachSlices]

I obtained some seeds did you do the 60 days warm stratification and 60 days cold stratification?

Simon

[TimIAm]

Sorry, just jumping on this thread because you may be able to answer. Do you need a male to get fertile seed from a female?

Years ago I visited the Koreshoff nursery in Castle Hill and they had a twin planting one male and one female tree (Ilex Serrata) in the same pot. For years I've been chasing a male. Every plant I've bought (even ones that didn't have flowers when purchased) eventually flowered and fruited the following season. I've never attempted growing from seed. Also is the only way to tell the difference the lack of fruit on a male, or do they have different flowers?

Pearcy what method did you use to get them to germinate?

Appreciate the help, I've been trying to find this info for a while.

[Pearcy001]

Hey tim. You can tell the male and female by the flower. Female flowers have a single large knob type stamen in the centre of the flower that is the same colour at the rest of the flower. The male flowers have multiple small yellow pollen covered stamens.
The male pollen is what is required to pollinate the famale flower, resulting in the female later producing fruit - males don't fruit.
Seed is obtained from inside the fruit the female produced.

For anyone wondering re this initial thread Question of mine. It appears my seedlings are already producing flowers. Presumably they (the female's) should bear fruit this season if they are flowering and cross pollinating.

Guess it's not long from seed after all. Clearly cuttings would be quicker but.

Cheers,
Pearcy.

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[Pearcy001]

I obtained some seeds did you do the 60 days warm stratification and 60 days cold stratification?

Simon

Missed your question sorry Peach Slices. No stratification, I used fresh seed, straight planted in June 2021.
Seed was removed from the berry under water so as not to damage it. Under water the pulp floats to the top and the seed sinks to the bottom when you squish it making it easy to separate the seed.

Cheers,
Pearcy.

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[Pearcy001]

For anyone wanting to ID their flowers.

Female

20221114_144912_compress14.jpg

Male

20221114_144944_compress63.jpg

Cheers,
Pearcy.

[KIRKY]

Very pretty little flowers. Thanks for showing the difference’s.
Cheers
Kirky

[PeachSlices]

i'll go to the nursey tomorrow and try find any others.

The one i picked up as a princess persimmon turned out to be a male ilex.

Will see if i can find a female diamond in the rough.

[Daluke]

Man this is black magic and sorcery. How anyone can tell the difference is beyond me… but maybe not you???

What do you think?

[Daluke]

Next

[Daluke]

And again

[Daluke]

And lucky last of the non gender identifiable ilex…

[KIRKY]

Hi Luke,
Perhaps a better photo of the open flowers instead of the whole plant would make it easier to see.
I think the one with the open flowers maybe a male. But it’s hard to tell because the photo distorts when I try to enlarge it for a better look.
Cheers
Kirky

[Pearcy001]

Hi Luke,
Perhaps a better photo of the open flowers instead of the whole plant would make it easier to see.
I think the one with the open flowers maybe a male. But it’s hard to tell because the photo distorts when I try to enlarge it for a better look.
Cheers
Kirky

You're on the money Kirky. Yellow stamens are the giveaway.

Luke, once the flowers open you will be able to tell, although I've found an early sign is a more clustered pack of flower buds on the male compared to the female (don't holde to that but).

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[KIRKY]

Thanks Pearcy100
I was actually going by your photos. To my eye seems the male has more stamen where as the female seems to have a bulbous center. What do you think?
Cheers
Kirky