Esperanza and poinciana seed sent to me by Crazy Green Thumbs at the end of last year were finally sown! Actually, they were sown two weeks ago, but I somehow deleted their pictures before sharing them here. Consequently, there is not much to see now. After the failure with the esperanza seed that The Shrub Queen sent to me previously, I am intent on growing these properly. Esperanza is more popularly known as yellow bells, and may alternatively be known as yellow elder, yellow trumpetbush or Ginger Thomas. I have no idea who Ginger Thomas is, or why she is relevant. Poinciana is more correctly known as pride of Barbados, and may alternatively be known as Mexican bird of Paradise, red bird of Paradise, peacock flower, dwarf poinciana, flos pavonis, flamboyant de jardin or ‘ohai ali’i. I know it as poinciana only because I have never encountered real poinciana here.
1. Tecoma stans and Caesalpinia pulcherrima seed were sent from Texas during the last few days of last year by Crazy Green Thumbs. I finally put them out only two weeks ago.
2. Tecoma stans seed are not much to look at while under a thin layer of damp media. Of course, they look totally awesome to me. There were too many seed for separate cells.
3. Caesalpinia pulcherrima seed are about as fascinating after getting sown. Since there are not as many seed, they got separate cells, which are almost discernible in the picture.
4. Darla the kitty has mistaken seeded flats for litter boxes in the past. Boundless forests are apparently inadequate. Upside down flats should protect the freshly sown seed flats.
5. Callicarpa americana seedlings from Woodland Gnome of Our Forest Garden arrived last September. There were nine in six cells. I separated these three ‘subdued’ seedlings.
6. Darla hates me. I can not get close enough to get a good picture of her. This picture is zoomed in from a safe distance. She needs to keep her distance from the seeded flats.
This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/
Tony Tomeo 
Still cold here for doing much outside, but we have cleaned out the glasshouse this weekend. It arrived at the very end of last season and has just had some overwintering pots in there. This year – veg ahoy!
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It has been strangely cool here at night, although strangely warm during the days, but it should not be so cool by the time the seed germinate. However, the seed were sown two weeks ago, so could germinate at any time now, and it still gets cool at night.
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Good luck with your seeds. I have Yellow Bells and seeds have never come up on their own.
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I will pamper these. If I can get just one started, I can grow more from cutting or layering.
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good luck, can you grow the ponciana outside? The yellow belles have seeded all over the place here, I may try to grow some more.
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This particular poinciana, which is more accurately known as ‘pride of Barbados’ should perform well here, and probably appreciates a bit of mild chill in winter. However, the real poinciana is very sensitive to even mild frost or chill. It does not do much better even in Los Angeles. It supposedly performs more ‘adequately’ in San Diego. Esperanza dislikes minor frost also; but I have seen it perform quite well in San Jose.
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