Seed physiological quality is usually determined by the interaction between genetics and the mother tree’s environment, as well as by intrinsic characteristics, such as seed mass. In the Andean highlands, massive sapling production for forest restoration projects is constrained by seed availability and quality. There, species of the genus Polylepis dominate the remnant forests. The associations of seed viability with seed mass and maternal effects were evaluated in P. flavipila, a threatened tree species endemic to the Peruvian Andes. The characteristics and environments of 18 mother trees from two sites were measured, and seed quality was assessed in three tests. Seed mass was 3.49 ± 1.76 mg (range: 0.5–16 mg) and showed the greatest variability within mother trees, followed by variability among trees and among sites. Viability rates, standard germination and greenhouse germination...