Hello everyone, I've also been looking to grow Torreya for a long time, and here's what I've found :
First, be aware that you need both a male and a female plant to get a crop. So, unless you can find a nursery that sells grafted plants or cuttings where the sex is already known, there is no point in buying plants that cost around €40 each with no guarantee that you won't end up with only males or only females. The most cost-effective way to go is therefore to buy seeds.
To start growing Torreya nucifera from seed, you'll need some patience. If the seeds you receive are not fresh, they can take up to two years in the ground before germinating. And after that, you'll have to wait at least 15 years to get your first crop.
If you can't find Torreya nucifera seeds, you could also try Torreya grandis, which is cultivated on an industrial scale in China, with several selected cultivars (which are unfortunately impossible to find here in Europe).
Another option is Torreya californica, which used to be an important source of food for Indigenous peoples of California and is surprisingly cold-hardy, growing at elevations between 900 and 2,000 m.
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RarePalmsSeeds.com have both Torreya nucifera and Torreya Grandis and Torreya Californica
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Sandman Seeds have Torreya Grandis and Torreya Califronia
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Atypique Flore is a French nursery that sells Torreya Nucifera plants propagated from a cutting of a specimen that they claim is self-fertile and produces a small crop every year. Probably the best compromise for those who don't have enough space to grow several seedlings and hope to get both a male and a female plant.
They are not in stock at the moment of writing this post, but you can leave your email address to be notified when they restock. They also ship throughout Europe.
Here is a video about sowing Torreya seeds (the guide is for Florida Torreya, but the same method should work for other Torreya species as well) :
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. They could do with being planted out really now, so thanks for 'bumping' this thread.
