vogtoo47- Hi, I would love to trade with you. I have some others from your want list too and am interested in some other seeds of yours. But..your email is not listed here so please email me at firegurl389@gmail.com so we can exchange addresses etc. Thanks!! Cryptid- Sent you an email. Let's trade :) I really enjoyed our last trade too. You are an awesome seed trader and I will be sure to leave a post on the rate and review for you. Biyu-would you be interested in doing sase? I know I said I wasn't doing sase but.... I see you are new to garden web-welcome!! I have no idea what you have available because when I checked your list, (which is inconveniently on another page...why not update your gw page so it's easier for us to trade with you?), it says that your list is a master list and that you are not sure if the seeds are available for trade. I'm not going to try and figure this out or email back and forth with you asking tons of questions, it just is too time consuming. hopefully you will have a chance to update your gw page here so you can list what you do have available in the future. Hope you are not upset by my honesty, I am trying to be kind and helpful. So please email me at firegurl389@gmail.com if you'd like and I'll send you my address for sase for those seeds you wanted. Thanks everyone, Firegurl Danielle

It depends where you live. If you live in this shades area, I would NOT recommend paulownia, because it could become very invasive. In other places it may still become invasive, but it should not be an issue. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/for/for39/fff00166.gif However, if you live outside, I would give it a shot despite what some others say. It is not the tree from hell, it just needs some TLC the first few years, don't just plant it and leave it be...otherwise it will become an invasive trash tree. If you have time, keep it, if not, move it to the garden and coppice it each year for its large tropical leaves. And even though people say its hollow, compare a hole the size of your thumb with a mature tree. Not very noticeable now is it? On younger stems, about 50% is the softwood, but in the "hollow" part, it has some light plant material and is fairly strong and limber, again, just needs some TLC to keeps from getting too frail. If you decided to get rid of it, might I suggest the northern magnolia? It is a little compact, but has nice medium large pink blooms that do not attract bees, and have a light sweet fragrance which is could for those who have allergies. Hope this helps!

I've told this story several times since the first time in 2012 or so. I had two ancient Paulownia tomentosas removed from the front yard of our new house in May of '07- before we even moved in. I felt terrible that our new neighbor's first impressions of us were as tree killers, but it simply had to be done! As much as I hate killing a tree, I am not a criminal. The criminal is the IDIOT THAT PLANTED the damned things. I had the roots ground out as deep as the largest grinder would go. The roots shoots that came up that year were horrendous- one every foot covering the entire yard. It was literally a daily chore to keep up with them- you'd cut them all then the next morning there would be another hundred of them 2 inches tall. They came up again equally as bad in '08, all spring and summer. In '09 they slowed down a bit on my property but began seeking new areas as I saw them in neighbor yards as well- not only on the adjoining properties but across the street. Spring and summer of '10- three full years since I had the trees taken out- and I still got shoots. THREE YEARS! They slowed down considerably but I still had to cut down one or two every couple of days. They are impossible to pull. They are one tenacious tree. AND... I cut more root shoots in the spring of '11!!! Four. Full. Years. After the trees were removed. This tree is the devil!!! This is the very first year I have not seen one- five full years of diligently patrolling the yard with scissors to cut root shoots. In a way you're gotta respect that degree of the will to live!

Don't plant a Magnolia if you're worried about mess. Someone planted one 50 years ago next to our pool. It is absolutely beautiful and give great shade to the south side of the house, BUT it is very, very messy. The large leaves drop all year, heaviest in the spring, and they take years to decompose. In the summer the beautiful flowers drop bud sheaths and then petals. Later in fall, heavy cones drop and bring tons of squirrels who pull them apart after the seeds and leave a mess everywhere. Plus the cones are kinda spiky, painful if you accidentally step on one, plus a tripping hazard. So yes, a beautiful majestic tree...for the outer edges of a property, not near a patio. You have been warned, lol. The Africarpus gracilior is a pretty good choice, they do get huge with age, but are fast and pretty clean, and handle heat and soil compaction well. Josue Diaz's suggestion of Brachychiton populneus is a good choice too, lovely tree, too tender for where I am, but should do great for you. Stan's suggestion of a Tristaniopsis laurina is a good one too, but pretty slow growing. If you want shade soon, I'd get the largest one you can find. It will be expensive, but save you several years waiting. I love Ficus microcarpa (Indian Laurel)! Beautiful tree, gorgeous white smooth trunk! I just got back from visiting my daughter in San Luis Obispo and the downtown streets are lined with them and they're very majestic. Do be aware that they can get very large buttress roots with age, but if you give them lots of root room near the patio, but not right next to or in the patio, they should be fine.