I have two trees from the same nursery, bought at same year. One receives sun 12-14 hours a day, zero shade, and insects love its' leafs, so I watered it with 1g of Bayer's insecticide (mixed in 5 gallon water) a month ago and it helped. This tree has smaller leafs. Second one, in 6-8 hours per day of sun, has twice larger leafs, and much less insect damage. No idea why. Both grow differently. "full-sun" tree has slightly weeping habit, and since I started training it and constant watering, it already grew 1.5' new branches this year which considered very fast. This picture was made 4 weeks ago; "full-sun"; top branches now started straightening up; and after 1st Spring growth strike I have new strikes at almost all branches (thanks to constant water dripping). I trimmed 2/3 of side branches this year and attached bamboo stick and just this already made it looking few feet taller. "part-sun" tree has much bigger leafs and deeper colour, not weeping at all, and grows much slower. Yes, as each beech tree it can reach 40'-60' in about 40-60 years, considering tri-color was discovered recently... in 1873, France... then should find huge trees in France? Tri-Color Beech is cultivar, mostly grafted on standard beech, so it all depends on graft quality and rootstock. SOme rootstock may grow faster; some may push tree higher.

WOW! I am so glad that I found this forum! I live in Augusta, GA and visited my Dad in Clay Co, AL this past week. We were looking at his tomato plants and found 2 tomato worms, which had the parasitic cocoons on them. I picked the worms off the plants and brushed the cocoons off of them. Dad wanted to squish them, but I said that I was going to take them home and raise them and teach our 4 year old son about metamorphosis. I wasn't sure about how to go about keeping them, UNTIL I found this forum! We cut alot of leaves and stalks for them to chew on until I can get a plant for them to live on. They are about 2 inches long, and fat. I had no idea that they bury themselves in dirt to go into their pupa state. SO again I am glad I started researching and found this forum. I was kinda bummed that we won't be able to watch them form cocoons but I am happy to know that they will turn into these particular moths, which I didn't know what they turned into before. So with that, I am wondering how will I know when they will go into the dirt, I am planning on putting them in the fridge while they are in the dirt so they won't come out to early and die. My only other issue is going to be we are moving in Missouri in late March early April and I am wondering if they will survive the move? Is there anything I should do to protect them during the move? When should I expect them to be ready to make their grand appearance? This is the 1st time ever doing this.So an extra pointers are welcome! ALSO I had read that some of you had the caterpillars with the parasites on them and you left them alone. Do you think mine will be OK since I took them off? Thanks! Kim

We found them again this year . We lost a plant or two last year to them and were waiting for them to show up.. We had just said.. Hey, no sign of our green friends yet.. a little early as the next morning the tip top of a green pepper was cleaned off and just a few tomato leaves. We found about 10 and after a powder dusting, we found more that had dropped. We throw them over our fence to an empty dirt lot.. wonder if they can make it back to our greenery?? anyone know? My son just told me he saw about 8 on the patio in the afternoon.. so we need to recheck for eggs and more of the buggers. What a pain. I hate that they can do so much damage so fast and in a small garden like ours, we would have little left. Ironically, the green pepper we got about 10 small peppers off of this year was the plant they ate last year and the first one we found them on this year.

Hey Cecropia! Your name says it all. I had absolutely no luck with Cecropia cats at all this year. I spent over $130 on ova and have nothing to show for it! Still, I have Luna, Poly and a few Io's. I am patiently waiting for my tobacco worms. I never get tomato worms here. I have some Virginia creeper sphinx ordered. I have not even seen any lineatas, which is very unusual. I think this is just a bad year for sphingids. I sure don't mind the tomato and pepper-eating hornworms. I have more than eniough plants for them. Yes, they were here first, and if not for their attractiomn to garden nightshades, the caterpillars are essential for control of noxious weeds in that family. The big hornworms are a favorite of many kids and science teachers. I only wish those seriously NOT wanting these marvelous creatures in their garden crops, would take the simple and most inexpensive measures to keep them away by companion planting of carrots, cilantro and other herbs not tolerated by the sphinx moths. Therefore, the moths are forced to oviposit elsewhere-perhaps on some nearby horsenettle, black nightshade or whatever suits them. There should be no need to ever have to kill Manduca hornworms!