Unique trees; If I Only Had The Room

Show me your faves, I'll show you mine...and where to get them too!

This is a Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana) from Seedman.com
http://seedman.com/newadd.htm

Good luck with that (about two zones minimum warmer than you)...

Funny you should mention...I dream in about two zones minimum warmer!

Actually, the listing says zones 7-9, I could be a contender. Isn't it a great looking tree?

I know the tree well, having visited with it rather regularly - in the Rhine valley of Germany, a solid zone 8.

It is not going to like your incessant winter winds of Michigan, whether you reach the critical kill zone temperatures or not. It will appreciate acid sandy loam soils, and regular atmospheric moisture.

Keeping one alive versus growing one successfully as illustrated...those are two really different things. But hey - hope springs eternal!

If there isn't a boundary in the question - between where we currently live and what we'd love to live with (If I only Had the Room could mean property in the appropriate growing region!), then I'd have a hard time choosing amongst several of these individuals...

That monkey puzzle is a cool-looking tree!
VV, I recognize the banyon tree, but what are the others?

#1. Cook Pine

#2. A Big Fig

#3. Another Big Fig

#4. A Big Persian Parrotia

#5. A Really Big American Holly

Beautiful picks VV, #3 Big Fig is wild!

This one requires a little more than just warmer zone...I love these too.
http://sites.ipfw.edu/native-trees/Baldcypress.htm

Mipii- Monkey Puzzle trees grow well here in Seattle-people use them as specimen trees in their yards. They really are the coolest trees but are eventually enormous. VV- my neighborhood is clay and glacial till, but they seem to grow fine, so while they may prefer sandy loam it does not seem necessary.
I also dream 1-2 zones higher, and I dream of really biiiig trees, but I have a quarter acre suburban lot. A Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) would cover the entire lot. Darn.

Au contraire, Mipii!

You should be able to grow Taxodium distichum with aplomb - or an apple.

It is a very hardy species, being successfully cultivated up into zone 4 landscapes in Minnesota. There are commercial nurseries field growing Baldcypress and its selections in southern Wisconsin. In my past career, I purchased 10" caliper 'Shawnee Brave' from that WI nurseries for a large project. Those trees are happily growing in KY now.

I bet you can find this plant at most reputable Michigan nurseries.

I feel your pain MLM, good thing we can dream. At least someone, somewhere gets to have an up-close and personal experience with any of the beauties we list, like you and the Monkey Puzzle Tree. Your Cedrus libani would cover my lot and a few of my neighbors, it's majestically massive.

LOL, I'll take two of each!

'Shawnee Brave' hmm, is it just me or is it equally beautiful naked?
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/HLA/Dunwell/TdSB04.html

Scratch that last post MLM, apparently, you just need the right cultivar. Your dreams can come true as far as your checkbook allows.

I'll second the Cedrus. I also covet Magnolia grandiflora, which is often tried up here, but with no long-term success that I'm aware of.

If you're looking for odd trees, I've got bunches of them in various states of immaturity. Unclear yet if any will turn out to have any ornamental appeal, but I enjoy them for their peculiarity. It's a 20+ yr experiment still underway. I lost some of them recently from weather but many are still standing. Among them are an emmenopterys henryi which is about 15yrs old and15ft tall now, hasn't bloomed yet, famously slow to bloom; I suspect I'll be dead by then, but stay posted, because once I have a bloom to show off, I'll surely be posting it (or my obit, depending on which occurs first). I have a euscaphis japonica which flowers and fruits anemically, but has beautiful lustrous foliage. Euptelia polyandra flowers pitifully also, but is 10ft tall and looks pretty robust. I lost my 20ft idesia polycarpa due to storm damage last month, but I have a 10ft back-up unharmed. Neither has ever fruited, though I thought the fruit display was supposed to be good; maybe I had two boys, not sure if need boy/girl pollination or not. Others include sinojackia rehderiana & xylocarpa, both of which flower profusely, a huge (?30ft tall) Neanderthal-looking cunninghamia lanceolata (which is the only one of this odd collection to ever elicit a favorable comment from my wife), pseudocydonia sinensis (with fabulous bark), sycoparrotia semidecidua (which grows too exuberantly and whose only useful attribute is the peculiarity of it's floral display), pistachia chinense (nice fall berries and fall color), acer maximowiczii (also beautiful fall color), acer pilosum var stenolobum, firmiana simplex, lots of others. I probably hold the record for the smallest 15yr old specimen of elliottia racemosa; it's getting smaller by the year, though astonishingly it flowered once. I keep trying to get franklinia to survive, but alas no luck. As for the question whether there's room for them all? Never gave it a thought. I plant them all on top of each other and let them duke it out. Everything's squeezed onto a (fairly big) suburban lot. It's pretty hilarious. You'll never see pictures of my yard in a glossy garden magazine, but if you like interesting plants, a stroll through my yard can be quite entertaining.
Here are a few pix of those with any redeeming photographic value. Most didn't make the cut.
#1 acer maximowiczii #2 aesculus x carnea Ft McNair #3 pistachia chinense #4 styrax confusus (don't you just love the jester's cap flowers!) #5 pseudocydonia sinensis.
And no spell-checking allowed...

Beautiful photos, Weerobin! I think your idea of cramming things in and letting them duke it out is the way to go. I have taken to measuring and spacing things according to their mature size, but that leaves gaps and limits what I can plant.

Yes you do have bunches Weerobin...nice bunches, I have to look up each and everyone of them. Love that bark on unspellchecked pseudocydonia sinensis.

VV, got to love Cook Pine too. I've seen specimens of those that are amazingly symmetrical, looking more like sculptures than nature made.

Weerobin, I'm not sure what species maple you have in pic #1, but I'm almost certain it's not A. m. (aka Nikko Maple). Did you buy it mail order?

Emmenopterys henryi was found on a trip to China by plant hunter Ernest H. Wilson when he was searching for Davidia involucrata. "One of the most strikingly beautiful trees of Chinese forests" Wilson wrote about E. henryi.

You're a better man than I, able to wait fifteen years for a bloom.
http://www.quarryhillbg.org/emmenopteryshenryi.html

I purchased two nutlets of Davidia involucrata and they're on their first stratification cycle as we speak. Got my fingers crossed.

C'mon, Pseudo - just say it.

Acer maximowiczianum (aka Acer nikoense, Nikko Maple) is a trifoliate leaved member of the Maple clan. That image above looks to be a simple leaved member, and the leaf morphology is different than any one leaflet on Nikko Maple.

It is a very nice looking Maple, however. Maybe one of the Acer davidii types?

Now, Weerobin clearly said it was Acer maximowiczii, not Acer maximowiczianum.

A little googling later, I see that Acer maximowiczii is also known as Acer pectinatum subsp. maximowiczii and Acer maximowiczii Pax. Try saying that 3 times in a row : )


This message was edited Jan 1, 2014 11:13 PM

Mipii, I'm still waiting patiently for my davidia to bloom, too. It's 15-20ft tall but I've never seen a bloom.
As for the acer, my understanding is that a. maximowiczii is distinguished from the trifoliate a. maximowiczianum. but of course they keep reclassifying things. You can relax, Pseudo, as I also have a languishing Nikko maple, as well as a couple of it's kin, the triflorum maple. All are struggling. Mo Bot has some really terrific triflorum maples with fabulous bark character which I was hoping to replicate in my yard, but after 10-15yr, mine are alive, but just with pencil-thick trunks. I have pretty much given up on seeing any bark development...

This message was edited Jan 2, 2014 8:37 AM

OK, I feel much better now that we have the whole maple thing straightened out and can resume my nomal activity, which this time of year means spending way too much time scouring nursery websites.

For what it's worth, Weerobin, I've got a Nikko Maple that's also underperforming. To use an HR analogy, I'm looking for plants that exceed expectations, which this one is cleary not doing. Therefore, it was demoted to another site this past spring and I'm hoping the move will improve performance. Of the four trifoliates I have (triflorum, griseum, and mandschuricum being the others), this one is by far the slowest to establish and make something of itself. It did suffer significant damage from a buck rub the first year I planted it, but that excuse is getting old. ;)

Is this a worthy topic: What trees/shrubs have exceeded your expectations?

Wee, did you grow your Davidii from seed? I really like Ginkgo biloba 'Princeton Sentry' but read it takes years to get established.

Pseudo, have you tried other cultivars of Magnolia? What is it that grandiflora offers that others do not? Yes, your exceeded expectations would be a good topic. It would be interesting also to find out exactly what the underperforming species conditions are, sighting, soil etc.

Mipii, I got my davidia as a small plant by mail order.

Ooooh,
#1 -- Pinus strobus 'Torulosa'
http://www.coniferkingdom.com/Contorted_Eastern_White_Pine_p/pinus_strobus_torulosa.htm

#2 -- Pinus x densithunbergii 'Beni kujaku'
http://www.coniferkingdom.com/product_p/pinus_x_densithunbergii_beni_k.htm

#3 -- Picea omorika 'White Tip'
http://www.coniferkingdom.com/product_p/picea_omorika_white_tip.htm

I've tried several magnolias, with marginal success. I'm not good at growing magnolias. That's a hard thing to admit, kind of like admitting you watch Duck Dynasty, but the proof is in the pudding. The only one I've had real success with is M. × loebneri 'Merrill', which next to stellata has to be the most rock solid magnolia. Mmm, now that I write that, I think it has stellata in its breeding. I haven't stopped planting them, but I'm starting to think I would need to do major soil amending to get a well established tree.

I was wondering whether you had tried stellata. The flowers are gorgeous, and it's supposed to be okay in your zone. A neighbor has one that I've been admiring for years, but I planted a Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem' instead. On snowy days like today I question the wisdom of that decision! I hope it doesn't lose 2 large branches like it did last time it snowed.

Pseudo have you moved them? They don't like to be transplanted. They love leaf mold for mulch because of their shallow root structure. Magnolia liliiflora is supposed to be pretty hardy. Check out this little beauty:
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c328
This one is hardy to zone 3:
http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/magnolia-denudata-forrests-pink-lily-tree.aspx


Muddy, the limbs that broke on your Little Gem, were they growing at fairly tight angles?

Let's see, what do I like about M. grandiflora? Well, for starters the glossy, lustrous foliage is quite nice. I also find the habit to my liking, especially when lower branches are left intact. But the real thrill is the voluptuous fragrant flowers, which are waxy, thick, and wonderful. I've read this tree is "messy," but it's a grandiflora mess I'd gladly put up with.

Totally agree...nice description!

You're right, Pseudo, M. grandiflora flowers smell heavenly. I also really like the fact that it's evergreen.

It's funny that you mention its "messy" reputation. My brother-in-law asked me why I had bought one because it makes such a mess. I haven't found that to be a problem at all; the lawn mower picks up the few leaves that it drops.

Mipii, one of the branches did have a tight angle, but I think the biggest problem was the heavy ice. Magnolias grow very tall and look wonderful around here, so I'm optimistic that mine will as well !

Muddy, messy is a relative term. Sometimes it's just worth it to tolerate the bad so you can enjoy the good. How is your planting/planning going?

Your Magnolia will look good again. Regarding my question about the branch angle, there's a school of thought that 'trains trees' at a young age to prevent some of those weather related events from breaking branches...just a thought. I consider trees an investment and think that some preventative care is a good sort of protection.

Feeling argumentative - and at no one in particular. Just sayin'...

You can do all the training you want to trees - anthropomorphism strikes again - and still have "issues" related to weather/climate events. That's nature.

Many of these kinds of problems happen with trees grown in exclusivity, primarily as "single specimens" out in open lawn with no support of woodland/forest as they might have chosen on their own. Putting a climax species in this condition is really common.

It is an especially good object lesson when one is attempting to grow a plant way out of its comfort zone - read: region of nativity - and then find that despite efforts, snow/ice/wind/drought/heat/cold/tsunami overcomes one's training anyway.

I certainly am not saying that one shouldn't do all the recommended practices. I'm saying that even though, there will still be circumstances that no gardener will overcome.

Pick battles, have reasonable expectations, maintain optimism, but one shouldn't curse the darkness because one chose not to light the candle.

I enjoy a good back and forth as much or more as the other guy/girl.
Ooh, geeze, as much as I'd like to...I can't argue with you VV.

'Cause you're right.

If I could argue with you...I'd be a Lawyer.

I'm with you, Mipii - no way I could counter that, even if I wanted to!

That's my magnolia, VV: a single specimen out in open lawn with no support of woodland/forest as it might have chosen on its own... and growing at the edge of its comfort zone as well. Fortunately, I don't need it for screening, so I figure I can prune it to maintain shape if it keeps losing branches.

Nature doesn't have a measuring tape, of course, whereas I do and probably use it too much, making sure that each plant will have room to grow and thereby depriving them of side support. I think I'm going to go with more of the cramming them together style, in particular when it comes to tall trees I don't think I have room for!

The cold weather put a damper on my transplanting of shrubs, and I'm hoping for a break so I can transplant my 3 winterberries. I've been debating whether to cram them in between yews and blueberry bushes, knowing full well that everything will merge together in a few years, or giving them more space to grow. So much to plant, never enough room!

When you let them 'duke' it out for themselves Muddy, the weaker/smaller will inevitably loose and you are also going to loose. I get the measuring tape out (I'm guessing you already knew that). I'm also guessing the more room you have, the more haphazard you can afford to be. Of course, if I'm wrong...somebody will surely set me straight...lol!

Yes, you're right. I've had more than a few shrubs suffer from disease because they were too crowded, and we all know that shrubs grow much bigger than the tags say, so it's hard to leave enough room even with the best of intentions.

My Rhododendron 'Cunningham's White' is a prime example. The Tag says it grows to be 4 feet tall, but it's 10' x 10' and still growing!

This message was edited Jan 11, 2014 10:07 PM

VV, just wondering if you're possibly feeling the need for a good intellectual joust from time to time because you just know too much and just can't muster the same intellectual stimulation you once enjoyed?

Just goes to show...no matter how good you've got it, there's always a down side. I guess that could also be turned around for those that don't have enough, the silver-lining is when you get more.

Perhaps you may gain some enjoyment/satisfaction by stimulating our intellect..just a though of course.

I'd say you've been an exceptionally good mother to Rhododendron 'Cunningham's White'. She obviously wants for not. You gave her everything she needed...and then more.

Mipii wrote:

Yes.

Whether it is here, on the ID forum, or elsewhere - to me the point is to learn or know more about what it is we are doing (gardening, growing plants). Oftentimes, simple statements move that ball forward. Other times, gauntlets are thrown down.

Let the joust commence.

I would like to explore one thought you wrote:

One could assume a 'specimen tree' is in an optimal position not an adverse one due to the fact there is no root growth or nutrient competition from nearby neighbors. There would be no rubbing from other tree's branches and no broken limbs from other trees or major limbs falling into the specimen. Instead of random placement, deliberate placement would be 'ideal', assuming the 'specimen tree' is well sited in a suitable environment for the species/cultivar.

Furthermore, better access promotes closer monitoring for pruning dead and diseased tissues or implementing other corrective measures for the tree, increasing health and consequently longevity. Of course a 'specimen' tree could be 'loved' to death, it is more likely to be well looked after in comparison to woodland/forest situations. I see a more advantageous situation likened to adoption when planting in an urban setting.