CA friends...I AM SO SAD!!!!!

I just started reading this post and I know how devastating it is to lose the trees and have the whole landscape and micro-ecosystem change. Our property and rural home were burnt in a forest fire 20 years ago. We moved back a year after the fire and it was really amazing to see how quickly the forest recuperated and the different plants and animals that moved in at different stages. Opening up the under story allows other species to move in and now you have the opportunity to create the enviorment you want with native plants and less fire danger.
I think others have pointed out the positive aspects of this change and I know you will eventually see them also. good luck, carri

I planted mine (Strawberry trees) in 1994, and I guess that makes them 15 years old. I read that they can grow up to 20 feet tall. Noticed that they are just about as wide now too. Mine need some trimming, but I was waiting for them to finish fruiting and blooming. Hope your cutting are hanging in there. I did save some dried on the plant fruits for you. Yes, mine get some mid-afternoon shade. Probably wouldn't mind a bit more but can take the sun.
When you get a chance you'll have to come visit my friends, the oaks.
WIB,
SW

Wait, wait, wait! How can they get away with that (referring to the original post)? We owned a condo in Mira Mesa six or seven years ago. One day and without warning, the landscaping guys (that are contracted to our HOA) cut the tree in our front yard waaaaaay back. They didn't do a very good job cleaning up cuz when we went out later to survey the damage we discovered a nest with four baby birds still in it laying on the ground.

Miraculously they were all alive! We called around and found a place down in SD that took in baby birds for reasons like ours. They told us that it is a $1000 fine for knocking a bird's nest out of a tree even when pruning that tree. We told the HOA manager guy that and he used the excuse that he had no idea it was a crime (yeah, sure ya jerk). We couldn't put our new found ammo to use though cuz we moved a few months later.

Anyway, how could SDG&E not destroy bird nests in your trees? Or maybe they did a better clean up job with them?

Hurting with you. :-(

Cayte

ecrane, yes I did get that same tree at Annnie's. I do have her page of info on it but I wanted to know anyone's experience with it. Dombeya cacuminum Strawberry Snowball Tree. I'll take a pic of it later.

SingingWolf would love it if you get a chance to take some pics of your strawberry trees.

I'm pretty sure SW's trees are Arbutus unedo, that's the tree that's most often called strawberry tree and lots of people in CA grow it. That's why when you mentioned getting yours at Annie's I figured you might have a different sort of strawberry tree than the one that other people had been talking about here because I'd never seen her carry Arbutus unedo.

I've tried the Dombeyas a couple times here (not always that same species) and they don't seem very happy; even when I put them in the greenhouse for the winter I haven't been able to keep them alive. Hopefully you'll have better luck! At least where you are you can probably keep them outdoors all year long which may make them happier.

Seawatch, I have an ID Wanted thread that shows my Strawberry Tree in full glory, back in December. So sorry, will try to find the photo. Don't have much free time right now.
WIB,
SW

ecrane, thanks for the info. I had never heard of the Arbutus type Strawberry tree so I was confused. Maybe if I had put in the word 'Snowball" it might have helped. I have my "tree" in a shady spot but it took a long time to get very tall and I did baby it a lot. The problem for me is the bottom leaves keep crinkling and browning on the edges while the pretty green ones are on top. I hope it lives. I spend too much time trying to make unusual trees grow here.

I have bot a few other tree cuttings from Annie's and some died while others are still only inches high. I have 2 bauhinia one yellow, one purple and they are really really small. I don't know if they'll make it. Have you ever tried one of those? I think I'm gonna stick to the local nursery and buy trees and bushes that are already 5g or something.

SW, I guess you and I have different trees.

I like unusual trees too! I think Dombeya is one of those plants that is happier in Florida or Hawaii than it is in California (or maybe I just convinced myself of that so I didn't feel like it was my fault mine have all died! LOL) Hopefully yours will hang in there for you. As far as the Bauhinias...I have Bauhinia tomentosa (the yellow one), it had been doing fine but this winter hit it a bit hard so we'll see if it comes back or not. But before that it was fine--it's still smallish but it bloomed last year. I'm not sure if your purple one will really be a purple one--my yellow Bauhinia tomentosa is one that I bought from Annie's a couple years ago labeled as B. purpurea. Never suspected it was labeled wrong until it bloomed, and it was clearly B. tomentosa. I also have B. x blakeana which I keep in the greenhouse for the winter since I don't trust it to be hardy--it had some pest problems last summer and more again over the winter so it's not very happy right now but the couple years before that it always did fine for me and has the most gorgeous blooms. You could probably keep it outside year-round where you are. I also have B. galpinii, it is very small too and hasn't bloomed yet and also got hit hard this winter--hopefully it comes back but if not I started some more from seed a few weeks ago so hopefully I can replace it.

You aren't the only ones --- my Cussonia paniculata (from Annie's) that made it through the winter, in fact I was just thinking the leaves were looking so beautiful -pretty much two leaves barely sticking out of the ground.

Now a month later, I think it's dead. In the spring, what !!??

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display.asp?prodid=1359

We can take some cuttings and see if we can start the kind I have. LMK. Sorry I haven't been more helpful. Lots of demands on my time lately. This photo shows both the flowers and the unripened berries.
WIB,
SW

well I'll have to see if my Bauhinias even grow. Maybe I'll replant them. You seem to have several so maybe there is hope. I have to limit my visits to Annie's website as I always find something I like, then I'm afraid it will go out of production and then I just have to have it right away!

Seawatch888, in my limited experience with Annies, I have learned to check my Sunset Western Garden book for our local zones before ordering. San Diego Zoo has Dombeyas on their grounds, but with all of our SC coastal microclimates, yours is probably different than theirs. I have also e-mailed Annies with questions about planting times, and gotten replies.

Rob, did your Matilija poppies survive the transplanting?

OCCAROL Thanks for your input. I should check the Sunset book more often. The problem is that our actual house is located exactly between the coast and inland. Some days we have the inland climate, others we have the coastal.

The next time I'm at the zoo I'll check out those Dombeyas--I'd really like to see them.

Same here, Seawatch. Right now it's 90 degrees and 7% humidity at our place.

Kathleen.....they didn't make it! : ( Sorry... I feel like a bad "adoptive mom"...

You shouldn't feel bad--they have a reputation for being hard to transplant. I've had good luck with the ones I get from Annie's in 4 inch pots--I pay attention and buy ones that are small and don't look at all rootbound, then I try to disturb the roots as little as possible when putting them in the garden and they've all done OK.

The one I had luck with was small, too, Liz. Perhaps that's part of the key - smaller is better?

Ooops, forgot to say - SORRY, Rob! I really hoped at least one would make it.

This message was edited Apr 8, 2009 8:06 AM

Kathleen, at least we tried, right? ; ) Ecrane, you're so lucky (or not, lol!) if I lived by Annies like you I'd be there all the time!!!
I love their stuff but their shipping is way too much...

My wallet votes for not lucky! LOL The good news is since I moved to this house, in order to get to Annie's I have to get through the tangled section of freeway heading past the Bay Bridge, and traffic is usually awful there unless I get myself moving really early in the morning, so I typically only make it up there once every couple months. At my old house, Annie's and I were both on the same side of the Bay Bridge traffic so there were never any problems and I was there quite a bit more often!

Sorry to hear that. I know how much you were hoping they'd take. Still looking for a small elderberry, and did collect the fruit from the Strawberry trees in case the cuttings don't take.
LMK.
WIB,
SW

So Roberta, what does your hill look like now? Are you planting anything or taking a wait and see approach? carri

Rob,
What ya got growing on that slope?
WIB,
SW

OK, sorry it took me a while to reply, I wanted to take a picture first!

This is the slope today. To the left you can see that leaning tree - it was the only one I was able to save (the other 2 small ones are on my property, so they were out of the question). I'm glad I did save this one as I see birds there all the time!

Sorry the pic is so bad, it's kind of hard to see. The smallish tree right in the middle is one of the 3 Acacias SDG&E gave me. They are on a drip system and doing fine! But of course, too small for coverage still; it will take a few years...

You can see 3 red blooms (lol how pathetic!) they are the bougie I planted up there too. I want it to grow down the slope but it's struggling a bit so far. I also planted one matilija poppy, I am hoping (if it survives!) it will eventually spread to give me privacy...

Other than that, you can see the slope is looking pretty bare and ugly...I'm concerned with erosion but it's SO hard to have anything grow there!

I can see why you got stuck up there, Roberta! Slopes ARE so hard to deal with, you have my empathy. We're trying to think of something to put on our lower slope that won't be hard to keep up. We've gone through lots of ideas, but none have stuck yet.

It's hard you know....planting anything right in the middle is almost impossible, you stick a shovel in there and immediately the sand crumbles down...I'm stuck with either planting stuff to climb from the bottom up, or planting stuff at the very top!

There is always retaining walls and terraces. Both require a lot of work and maybe dealing with the city for permits. I'm putting on my thinking cap, no wait that's the dunce cap! I'll see what others around here are planting.
Thanks for posting the pictures. It's probably going to take a few years, have you thought about temporarily fencing the top of your property line? Would be a pain, but then you at least screen it better. Honeysuckle would love starting at the top of the slope in the middle and would grow down. I haven't given up yet on your strawberry trees or elderberry either.
Hang in there kiddo!
WIB!
SW

Thanks SW! : )

It's our local DG'ers project to get that slope taken care of. You can have a half grown pomegranite bush if you want to come and dig it up! I already promised the seedling to Weegy. I'll keep my eyes open for other seedlings. You never know what the birds are going to leave for you.
Keep in touch sweetie!
WIB,
SW

Poms put out seedlings, or is it just a 'bird' thing? We have one at the bottom of our property - I should check around there. The steps are so overgrown, though, I'd have to hike around the other way to get to it! I'm surprised the giant Toyon hasn't eaten everything down there!

That's something you could put up there, Rob! Toyons (Heteromeles arbutifolia) grow very fast and can would be great as a screen, the birds love them and they are very pretty - flowers in spring and red berries in winter - I use them for wreaths. Evergreen, too. Why didn't I suggest that before? http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/58417/

SW, would love to come dig out our pom, if only we live a little closer...lol!

Kathleen, I've heard raves about Toyons, apparently birds love it! If you get any seeds this fall...I'd love to get some! : )

Because you needed me to jog your memory? LOL! KC, you always have the best ideas. I just saw that devastated slope and it made me sad too.
I'm still going to try to start you some of the Strawberry Bushes, Rob.
With the pomegranites, its a bird thing or I wouldn't have them growing in wildly improbable places. If Rob,doesn't want it and some one else does, LMK!
Come on Rob, SD isn't that far away. Closer than LA for sure. LOL!
WIB,
SW

I'd love a pom, SW, if it's going spare.

Seeds? Gosh, they get berries - when do the seeds appear? I'll have to look. We've got about five of them, so I should be able to supply you with several pounds! LOL

Bring something to take it home in, and I'll let your DH or mine use my shovel and you can take it home.
The seeds are inside the fruit. Its the part you usually spit out. Like with grapes. Are you pulling my leg? Again! : )
This one is taking advantage of the drip system to the honeysuckle. Now that it has finally gotten cave deep on the inside the pom has grown across the ground and is kinda weird and gnarly. This is the one I thought would like the slope at Rob's, and also not some where you would plant it but a bird perched on the honeysuckle would. All it takes is one wrong move, and oops. Pomegranites have tough skins, and left to ripen on the bush will crack open on their own. The birds love to feast on them. I always leave some on the bush for the birds to eat. The crows haul off bigger pieces containing several of the tiny fruits.
There is another one growing where I want to plant something else that will be easier to get to and dig up. I'll show you tomorrow.
WIB,
SW

We don't get any seedlings from our Toyons, and it made me wonder if the seeds weren't viable or something. But then I remembered several of them came from a DGer who grew them (I think) from seed.

It's a good question, actually. Why is it we have all these weird things popping up in our yards thanks to the birds, but the plants we have growing don't get spread around? Riddle me that, SW. I think it's a conspiracy.

OK, as usual, with a little effort on my part I answered my own question. Toyon seeds are not easy to germinate, which I remember Chuck saying at the time. drdon was impressed that he had been so successful - he gave me a flat of seedlings, but it was summer and only three survived. Chuck enjoyed propagating and had no use for the plants, so he gave them to me. Not many people have room for them! Here's the protocol - http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org/network/view.asp?protocol_id=616&referer=wildflower

I would buy them, but you are welcome to seed all the seeds you want in the Fall, Rob. :-)

Oh man, it looks hard to make it germinate from that website huh! Thanks though K! : )

They grow so fast, Rob, treat yourself to some seedlings at the CNPS plant sale in the fall - it's the best time to plant them.

Wish Chuck was still around DG, he sure had the germination figured out.

Oh my . . . not for the faint of heart, that protocol, is it?!

Linda