I am trying other species outside here in nothern France.I have gone through last winter with Araucaria heterophylla.It looks a bit singed though.I have many others that will go out soon. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Grimshaw" <j.grimshaw@virgin.net> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 7:55 AM Subject: Re: [pbs] OT, Araucaria talk > Jim McKenney wrote: So now I wonder: is A. bidwillii grown in the > UK in the open garden? Does it become large enough to fruit? > > It is easiest to reply by providing the text for my account of Araucaria > bidwillii that will appear in my forthcoming book 'New Trees, > Introductions > to Cultivation 1970-2005' which will be published by the Royal Botanic > Gardens, Kew, in about a year's time. > > (formal description omitted) > The Bunya Pine is a magnificent tree in its native Queensland, and is > grown > quite widely in Australia and elsewhere for its ornamental value (Elliott > & > Jones 1982). Mature trees are somewhat hazardous on account of the risk of > being hit by a falling cone. At present there seems to be little risk of > this in our area [North America north of San Francisco and the NC/SC > boundary, Europe north of the Mediterranean basin], where A. bidwillii is > on > the very edge of its tolerance, even in the mildest locations. It has > however reached 11 m (33 cm dbh) in the past at Glendurgan, Cornwall > (TROBI > record from 1965) and the current British and Irish champion is a 6 m > specimen at Earlscliffe, Baily, Co. Dublin (TROBI). It is therefore worth > the attempt in the mildest coastal areas of Europe and western North > America, but great size and longevity are perhaps too much to hope for. > > TROBI = Tree Register of the British Isles > > I'd better get on with the book itself! > > John Grimshaw > > > Dr John M. Grimshaw > Sycamore Cottage > Colesbourne > Nr Cheltenham > Gloucestershire GL53 9NP > > Tel. 01242 870567 > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > >