>I have read that seeds of Arctostaphylos germinate better when given fire >treatment. We have native Arctostaphylos and Ceanothus species which seem >to sprout up where there was a fire, either >someone's burnt leaf pile or >otherwise. The dried berries, as opposed to the cleaned seeds may germ >better after being shipped overseas. The nutlets of Arctostaphylos have a periole plugged with a wax-like substance which needs to be removed prior to germination; heating by fire doesn't always do this. The "simplest" method is to remove the plug (I use a dental pick) and then stratify until the seed germinates, in 500 years. I was able to germinate one seed of A. pringlei last year. >Does anyone know of bulb seeds that require fire? A better word than "require" might be "utilize". Seeds of many species said to "require" fire can be germinated by cold, if the seeds are cold hardy. Non-bulbous examples are Romneya coulteri and Fremontodendron californicum. There may very well be a difference in the hardiness of a seed versus the hardiness of a bulb. Most cold-hardy bulbs are only hardy to about 10 degrees (-12C), if even that, but the seeds appear to be much hardier to cold. So, seeds sown in a pot and left outdoors in a place where no living creature wants to go outside (here, today) might be perfectly hardy and germinate the following spring, but a bulb in the same pot would be dead as of today. Bob Nold Denver, Colorado