Propagating Redtip Photinia

Q: You say on your website that redtip photinia cannot be propagated from seed. I recently gathered seeds from a Chinese photinia. The seeds are still red and fleshy. Will they sprout?

A: Redtip photinia, Photinia x fraseri, seed won’t germinate well (maybe 1 out of 100) and the resulting shrubs probably won’t have the distinctive red leaves on their branch tips.

Chinese photinia, Photinia serrulata, seeds will germinate pretty well. Rub off the red seed coat and pulp, let them dry a couple of days, and plant the seed now and see what happens.