| Nate |
| | June 29, 2010 | Reply with quote | #1 |
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Hey everyone:
I am currently awaiting a couple new tree arrivals from special orders I made this week. They are both extremely ambitious projects but I'm trying them nevertheless.
I have a London Plane Tree coming in because I couldn't find an American Sycamore for the life of me and I've read many reports saying that london plane could be zone 3 hardy. The city plantings last year don't do justice (they did die). The city isn't the best at taking care of trees and I'll put in the extra effort they didn't. Also I will have a much more protected area and I'm hoping we finally get a decent zone 4 or 5 winter after two winters of -35 lows (which has been rare the past 20 years).
The second tree.....A sweetgum tree (liquidambar). Yes, i know thats the biggest longshot I've attempted but I love these trees to death. Even if I only get one amazing fall display I will be happy as it functioned as an $80 annual. I would even be happy if it dies back and I can use it as a shrub.
Ps. My windmill palm tree survived the winter unprotected. It defoliated and new fans are coming out of the middle now. There are zone 2 trees that died this winter yet my palm tree came through. I was enthused to say the least as I have never seen any reports of a palm tree surviving past -31c and that was in nashville, tenn which has very warm winters besides that and that was an established mature needle palm (supposedly the hardiest palm). I have pictures of it on my flickr site.
Talk to you all soon!!
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| akeimou |
| | June 30, 2010 | Reply with quote | #2 |
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never heard of any palm tree in the northscapes, period!
the biggest longshot i've attempted was a banana tree. on sale at superstore so it was a $10 annual. if i'm gonna eat local i'm gonna miss bananas. :-]
there are also the bamboos which have survived a few winters but they don't get big. don't know why i thought i could have bamboo groves in my yard...
from where do you special order trees, Nate?
--meg
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| Nate |
| | June 30, 2010 | Reply with quote | #3 |
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I go into Cannor Nurseries and they have a nursery out in Chilliwack that they pick up from every week, so its pretty easy for them to add on a tree you like. That is where the sweetgum is coming from. The london plane is coming from Dunvegan Gardens (Spruce Grove). They are doing the same thing for me, adding to an order they're getting from BC.
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| Marvin |
| | June 30, 2010 | Reply with quote | #4 |
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What's up with the duplicated posts?? That was weird.
Nate,
I simply do not believe a Windmill palm overwintered in Alberta "unprotected". I lived in Chilliwack, BC and could not get that palm to survive there even. Not until you reach Langley in the Lower Mainland do you see larger specimans that clearly have overwintered many years. But Edmonton? Come on?! How is it that a London Plane tree proves to be dicey (in hardiness) yet a Windmill palm tree pulled through the winter ok?
Thanks for the good laughs...
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| Nate |
| | July 01, 2010 | Reply with quote | #5 |
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Marvin:
I won't sit here and argue with you. I have no point in lying about this. But obviously your lack of success is something that bothers you to the point that you will try to cut me down and say its impossible. I know what happened and thats all that matters to me. I've seen willows die off this winter that are zone 2 hardy. Don't ask me how my palm is alive, all I know is that it is and I'm grateful. I planted it thinking it would be toast according to all reports. A little snow can go a long way, especially with the lack of buckets of rain that you probably receive in the winter. I bet your palms die from rot and not the cold. Life will prevail when you least expect it.
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| treeboy |
| | July 04, 2010 | Reply with quote | #6 |
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I'm from Missouri, Nate... Show me.
Pictures of your palm, please... If it is true, the proof will be in the pudding and will satisfy all of us doubting Thomases....
Sweet Gum: You see the odd one in really protected spots here in Chatham, On (zone 6/7). They are not reliably hardy north of this at all. There are a few more along teh Lake Erie shore and in Windsor/Leamington where it is even milder.
I personally don't have the financial resources to take such a risk, but not knock yourself out if you will... Good luck.
I think I had mentioned about Sycamore as opposed to London Plane. I know for a fact there are mature ones growing in Bismarck, ND. Rather than risking a big financial investment on a tree form somewhere else that has almost a 100% chance of NOT surviving an Edmonton winter, why not make a road trip to ND this fall and do some seed collecting and propogate your own that have some provinence? I can give you the link to where these Sycamores are located.
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| Nate |
| | July 06, 2010 | Reply with quote | #7 |
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/23840945@N05/
Here it is growing a new fan from the crown. This was about a week ago. I may be able to get a new one that shows its growth.
As far as those trees go...im not too concerned about the cost, I just enjoy experimenting. We'll see how it goes.
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| Alan |
| | July 08, 2010 | Reply with quote | #8 |
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Great photos, Nate. Who would've thought a palm tree in Edmonton! So Edmonton outdoes Calgary again.
It just goes to show experimenting is more fun than playing it safe. Here in southern Manitoba my wife bought me a Monkey Puzzle Tree, but then wouldn't let me plant it outside . (I'd heard they've survived for years on the Niagara Peninsula.)
I should've planted it outside, because it died a slow boring death inside, anyhow. So from now on, anything less tropical than a Zone 6 or 7 gets a shot in my yard.
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