Davidia

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Kevin_5 Elburn, IL(Zone 5a) Apr 23, 2006

There may be hope for us Zone 5'ers after all. I have always been in search of more cold hardy Davidia, but we are limited in the genetics available to us in the US. Although always listed as Zone 5 hardy, I never did actually find one living and thriving in a Zone 5 locale. I killed several, including the a large tree of the supposedly more cold hardy var. vilmoriniana. Enter Fairweather Gardens and Camellia Forest Nursery who imported seedlings from China--fresh new genetics to try! The Fairweather Gardens tree is now leafing out, unscathed after its second winter planted out. I grew it in a pot for a year to get some size. The CFN version was about a foot tall. I grew it in a pot for most of last summer. I did notice that it leafed out last Spring fairly late, which is a bonus here. So I planted it out late last summer. It too is now coming alive, not one bit of damage on it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

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StarhillForest Illinois, IL(Zone 5b) Apr 23, 2006

Atta Boy!!! I've killed a couple of them too, before writing them off as ungrowable here.
Guy S.

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growin Beautiful, BC(Zone 8b) Apr 23, 2006

I've observed quite a few around town and the best ones still are in semi-protected spots. I believe they come from a higher altitude area that doesn't get hot, dry winds or excessive heat. Maybe the trick isn't zone but position in the garden. The city of Vancouver has planted a number for street trees. I can only image the golf-ball sized fruit falling on cars and causing dents. Good luck with your lil' tree.

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gooley Hawthorne, FL(Zone 8b) Apr 23, 2006

Anybody know a cheapish source for the cultivar "Sonoma"? It's supposed to bloom a lot younger than the species, with bigger blossoms or bracts or whatever those big white things are. I rarely see it offered under $100, and then not much under that...

Mark., as if we didn't have enough Chinese plants trying to take over here

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kandlmidd Presque Isle, WI(Zone 3b) Apr 23, 2006

I say put up a fence between here and China. :>}

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StarhillForest Illinois, IL(Zone 5b) Apr 24, 2006

I think the nicest I've seen outside of China were a couple of huge ones in Jimi Hendrix's old neighborhood in Seattle. But that's a huge climate shift from what we have here in the Midwest. Ken, I wouldn't worry much about them escaping here. They can't even survive when planted and babied! That might be a different story down in Gooley's neighborhood, but I doubt it.

Guy S.

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