During the months of November and December 2018, thousands of seeds were collected from various plants typical of the Prunus lusitanica and Rhododendron ponticum subsp. Baeticum Communities. . These seeds are found in the CICYTEX nursery to germinate and grow sufficiently, in order to be planted in the Life-Relict project areas (Monchique, Açor and Estrela). The initial difficulties, mainly associated with the germination of the Prunus lusitanica, have been overcome and this year we have a large number of seedlings.
It is fantastic how vigorous the germination of the Prunus lusitanica is. The Rhododendron ponticum seeds have a high germination percentage, however, many of the seedlings are lost due to adaptive difficulties. In this sense, the substrate used is collected directly in the field, thus reproducing the conditions favorable to seedling growth more faithfully. Oak trees, in general, also already show evidence of germination. African oak (Quercus canariensis), White oak (Quercus robur subsp. Broteroana), black oak (Quercus pyrenaica), among others, are already in the mood to show themselves to the public.
