As I live close to the natural habitat of the Bunya pine I can vouch for it being a truly majestic tree and an important plant to the Aboriginal people both as a food plant and culturally. It seems pretty special that it is being grown in such different environments. If these trees do fruit don't park your car under them when the cones are ready to fall. Shelley South East Queensland ----- Original Message ----- From: John Grimshaw <j.grimshaw@virgin.net> Date: Thursday, April 3, 2008 4:21 pm Subject: Re: [pbs] OT, Araucaria talk To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > 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/ >