Melastoma malabathricum is a tropical shrub in Melastomataceae family, native to Southeast Asia and Australia. It is easy to propagate from seeds with high germination rates. Small dimorphic seeds (0.45-0.8 mm) contain fertile and sterile forms.
Before sowing
No pre-treatment needed — sow directly.
Seeds sown fresh in nursery seedbed or containers
Sowing
Substrate
well-draining seedbed mix with organic matter
Depth
superficie
Temperature
22°C
Moisture
media
Container
containers or nursery seedbed
What to expect
Step 1
Sow at superficie · 22°C
Day 10–30
Seedlings emerge (~80%)
Tips
Sow fresh seeds best. Germination 65% within 10-15 days, up to 80% within 30 days. Prefers open, well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil. Species is acidophilic, thriving in acidic soils pH 3.5-5.5. Germination best in full sun or light shade.
Sources: Tropical Plants Database (Ken Fern), VIRIAR, PMC/NCBI, EarthOne, Wikipedia, iNaturalist
