Toona ciliata Seeds | Red Toon
LATIN NAME: Toona ciliata
COMMON NAME: Red Toon
Plant Profile
Red Toon (Toona ciliata) grows as a tall, deciduous tree in the mahogany family. Red toon sprays tall, deciduous tree with large, pinnate leaves of many pointed leaflets and long, drooping sprays of small, creamy-white, fragrant flowers that open through spring, small, woody capsules with winged seeds following. Young foliage opens with soft, reddish flush, and tree grows into stately, upright form. It likes sun, and deep, moist, well-drained soil. Put simply, this is a rewarding species for anyone willing to give it a suitable spot.
Science & Biotechnology
Within the mahogany family, Toona ciliata is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. In mahogany family, toon trees have a long, fine record in studies of fast-growing timber trees, and ciliata species appears in research on warm-forest growth and wood properties. Nothing exotic is required: standard seed-sowing practice, done carefully, is enough.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Red Toon has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. In warm garden, red toon sprays spring with creamy fragrance. Drooping flower clusters feed bees, young shoots serve seasonal greens, and fine, reddish wood serves furniture, panelling and joinery for generations. It thrives in deep, moist, well-drained, sunny ground. After the first season it asks for very little beyond a place that suits it.
Chinese toon’s spring shoots, xiangchun, are a prized oniony delicacy rich in polyphenols, and its mahogany wood is fragrant and durable; it is one of the few trees grown as a leaf vegetable.
Growing from Seed
Red Toon grows readily from seed. Use a fine, free-draining seed compost, scatter the seed evenly, cover it lightly and hold it just moist in good light. When the young plants are big enough to handle, space them into pots or a nursery row and let them size up before their final move.
Our Take
It is a solid representative of the Toona group, true to type from seed. Plant it in sun with drainage to its liking and the rest is easy.
Related Reading
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