Propagation: How best to propagate a dove tree...

I have access to a davidia involucrata for a little while before it is cut down ( I think ). I am wondering the best way to propagate this tree , I love it when I drive by in the summer. I've read that I have two choices seed ( which it appears to still on the tree ) or a cutting of new green growth. I would like to grow this as fast as possible so, I'm thinking the cutting might be the best way to go. I have no experience in rooting cuttings any help is appriciated. Thanks

 

I'd go with the fruit, although fruit present at this time might not be viable. In which case you are left with cuttings - something you may not want to bother with, in this case: doing something like rooting a dove tree is more of an advanced gardener type of operation. Neither seedlings or cuttings of this particular item will be fast-growing. Unless it is not available there or you don't want to spend the money a better way to get a dove tree would be to buy a specimen of the 'SHN' cultivar, which is usually offered as 'Sonoma' (even though the originating nursery refers to it as 'SHN'). This produces larger floral bracts than usual, plus the clonal stock I have seen here blooms quite small - even in a 5 gallon pot size. And the parent tree, at Sonoma Horticultural Nursery is quite a little thing, as though the flowering habit has a dwarfing effect on its overall development.

With normal dove trees you eventually get a 50' wide, commanding landscape feature with long, level branches that cannot be cut back without spoiling the shape. And seed-raised plants take 10-20 years to start blooming, as is often the case with medium- to large-growing tree species.

 

I agree with what Ron said. Propagation of this tree is not easy. If you can get the smaller, quicker to bloom cultivar, it is worth it.

If you have some special fondness for that particular tree and have the space, you might want to look under the tree in case there might be seedlings. We get the occasional seedling tree here at the garden, so it is possible.

 

Not a PNW native plant, so thread moved to different forum.