Torreya californica - west coast alternative to black locust?

I've been perusing a lot of seed vendors here in California that specialize in native seeds. One species that has caught my eye is Torreya californica, or California Nutmeg.

It has several properties that make it very desirable from a permaculture perspective. It's capable of growing in many different habitat types across its native range. It can regrow from its roots, making it useful for coppicing. The wood is incredibly rot resistant, similar to black locust - According to the forest service article on it, "Trees cut over 100
years ago have been found lying on the ground with little rot". It also produces edible nuts that are good for both wildlife and humans.

There are drawbacks. It's dioecious, so you need males and females near each other. It reportedly smells unpleasant. It also grows rather slowly - seeds take 9 months to germinate!

Based on what I've read its relative rarity has kept it from being too popular, but it's getting more attention in recent years as a specialty lumber. Larner Seeds has seeds of it for sale, but I actually just bought the last ones myself. I'm not sure if there are other places to get it.

I'm very curious if anyone here has had the chance to grow/use this tree before. It's endemic to California but I imagine it would grow well throughout the Pacific coast, at least until you go north enough for the ground to freeze.

Ooh, that looks like an interesting tree. The Ferns Website says it likes it damp and is pretty hardy. I wonder if I can get some seeds in the UK? Interesting edible nuts and rot resistant wood, definitely worth a try I'd say.

Howdy,

I can't really help you. It's just that I was at a friend of mines property, up in the coastal mtns., above Healdsburg, mostly Redwood forest. He showed me some small trees and asked if I knew anything about them. We took cuttings, some with nuts. I brought them home and looked them up. I was surprised to read about them. He only showed me a small group(2-3 small trees,2-6"dia and maybe 12-15' high), they weren't everywhere. My tree book, Trees of North America says 1-3' dia, and 30-90' heights, and the rare Florida Torreya(T. taxifolia) is called Stinking-cedar, odor of its leaves. I didn't notice any peculiar odor on the samples I brought home.
 So, yes, I am just a curious tree person...You already have more info than I.

That's really cool, Randal! Did you get the chance to plant the cuttings/seeds you took? I'd be interested in an update after they've had a chance to grow.

Howdy,

No, Malek. I probably "cut" the seed pods before they were ready. The seeds rotted inside the hull. Hull never really "dried" off, it had some kind of "mold".  My tree book says, "Angiosperms, seed protected by ovary wall" and flat needles, possible closely related to yews. Torreya californica, also called "California Nutmeg".

I have split yew trees into good fence posts. so possibly Torreya would be the same. Tree book shows very limited/small growing area, just around the SF Bay Area.

Pacific Yew grows in coastal region from upper BC,Canada, down into southern Calif.

Cool-seeming trees! Does anyone have experience with Torreya nucifera (the Japanese species) as a nut tree? Does anyone know where to get fresh, viable seed (in Europe)? I'd really like to try it out, even though it's on the edge at best when it comes to hardiness...

I found a website with a lot of information on Torreya species, including detailed reports with photos of the author visiting different populations of trees. Here's their section on Torreya californica. They might also have info on the Japanese Torreya.