Thanks, bboy and Mike, for your thoughtful comments. My planning for this garden was based on what IâÂÂve read about the trees in question in Michael DirrâÂÂs writings and elsewhere, on my desire to have certain trees IâÂÂve long admired (the Stewartia, Parrotia, and Styrax), on my fondness for Japanese maples, and on what I could get. I know that with age and the right environment the S.p., P.p., and S.o. can all outgrow the space I have for them (though I wouldnâÂÂt mind if they each reached 30 feet or so in my lifetime). I think youâÂÂre right about the S.o.âÂÂs overwhelming the weeping maple, an Acer palmatum âÂÂOrangeolaâÂÂ. Moreover, I think the same is true of the P.p.âÂÂs overwhelming the two upright Japanese maples, each an Acer palmatum âÂÂOrange FlameâÂÂ, planted immediately behind it, as well as the S.p.âÂÂs overwhelming the J.m., an Acer palmatum âÂÂRed SpyderâÂÂ, immediately behind it (assuming IâÂÂm able to remedy the S.pâÂÂs apparent chlorosis). It looks like IâÂÂm going to need some strong hands this fall to transplant the four trees (as well as two similarly sized trees I have in planters in the front of the house). It also looks like IâÂÂm going to have to give serious thought to where, on this small property, I should plant all the trees! Your garden is spectacular, Mike, as is its natural habitat. It achieves the kind of effect IâÂÂm seeking, but on a vastly larger scale. HereâÂÂs a quick question: The P.p. has been slow to come into leaf and has done so irregularly, with well developed leaves on some branches and no leaves or few leaves on others as of today (see photo below). I planted the tree in a large but unamended hole in late December. It wasnâÂÂt until late March that it dropped the last of its leaves (with a little help from me). Each of the trees but the P.p. began to come into leaf in early to mid February, and each is now fully in leaf. The unleafed or partially leafed branches are as limber as the fully leafed ones are and display the same dark green cambium layer when scratched. Should I be concerned about the P.p.âÂÂs losing some or all the unleafed or partially leafed branches?

".. nine feet tall, six feet wide". Is it healthy, robust and in a sunny exposure or spindley, open, and stuck away in the shade? What species do you have? I have S. malacadendron, a shrubby native. They start blooming at about 3'. Exclusively grown from cuttings, never known of seed to be available. I wouldn't care if S. monadelpha never bloomed. This is a tall species with a soft, layered habit and cinnamon bark, scarlet fall color. It also blooms quite young but flowers are small. Don't know about other states but my state's university soil lab closed down many years ago. Their testing was mostly for lawn, garden and agricultural application ie tons of lime per acre. How would a soil testing lab know the specific phosphorus requirements for a given tree species? Under the best of circumstances the lab will provide some general information such as pH, P, K, and micronutrients if you request them. I am familiar with several Stewartia species. In general a healthy, robust tree, 9' tall in a sunny spot should have several flowers. Sam

Whaas, mine has been fine too in Z5. Like Idabean said, we were both surprised as to the flowering. I waited a number of years for flowers and was thrilled this year with the tree covered with buds. Only to have it bloom a handful of flowers per day. Still, the flowers were beautiful, even after they fell off the tree and were laying in the garden. And I really like the bark and excellent fall foliage of this tree. So even though I didn't get my hopeful burst of bloom (because apparently I missed this post last year) I'm still happy with the tree overall. I have it planted with some Japanese maples and it works nicely with them. I also have no deer damage.

well, "dwarfing up nicely" is something i just made up. i'll just explain how its doing: the plant is still healthy looking in the pot, hasn't grown much. trunk is getting thicker without a huge amount of top growth. the tree is growing maybe 6 inches to 12 inches a year? pretty sustainable growth for a patio tree for a few years. also, mine has about 0 leaf spot damage. i dunno if i am just lucky- most if not all of the ones in the ground in my neighborhood have it. mine is part sun (mid day only). i give it very little supplemental water. they want to be big trees, however, i see a lot of dwarfed healthy looking native madrones growing out of cracks in rocky hillsides. my goal is to replicate that sort of culture as long as i can. (as long as it looks healthy). i figure i'll just craigslist it to someone if it gets too big. should give me a lot of years of enjoyment. so yea, probably there are better trees to stick in containers. but arbutus marina is one of the most attractive trees around... worth the effort.