I haven’t visited these forums in some time and actually rediscovered this thread doing a google search on some rare plants (go figure). Since we have a lot of trees and not a lot of resources and time to protect them, most of my losses are due to deer/rodent herbivory. Instead of dwelling on all of the plants I haven’t been able to keep alive, I’ll mention the highlights and surprises here. I went go in depth on too many so ask if you want more details and I’ll try to keep an eye on this thread and respond back when I can. I have been in Arizona since May and I’m basing the updates from this past growing season on my mother’s observations. -Strongest growing maple is Acer lobelii by far; arrived as a stick broken in half during shipping en route from Colvos Creek Nursery in Washington state and has grown at least 3 feet a year. It towers over all of the other sticks in my maple collection at about 15 feet. -Acer davidii grosseri hersii (what a taxonomic mess!) is the strongest growing snakebark and a new addition since the original post I believe. I don’t give it any “help” nutrition-wise and it has grown 2 feet each year; excellent striped bark turns crimson with the onset of cold weather and the leaves are a mix of red, orange, and purple in the autumn. From Forestfarm and while they are awesome, I have not yet keyed this plant to confirm its identity; either way, doing awesome for a snakebark in a clay-dominated alkaline soil in an exposed area. -Acer rufinerve gets no fertilization either and has some years where it sits back and grows little, and other where it takes off. Apparently this year it grew over 2’, so it now stands about 8’. Bark is excellent, although it doesn’t change to crimson like some of the other snakebarks. Can occasionally develop minor signs of nutrient deficiency but not a big deal. Leaves are amazing both texturally (coarse) and by color in the autumn, a mix of red, orange and violet. -Acer henryi looks like a Boxelder and grows like one in upstate NY. After a rough time establishing and a nasty bout of sunscald, it now grows about 2’ a year and has excellent red and violet autumn colors, with violet usually dominating. -Acer longipes is notable because I was able to get one through a winter (low -13F) with the only damage due to herbivory. Supposedly sprouted up big time this past summer. Not many experts seem to place much faith in its hardiness and it may have been below the snowline at the time of the low temp. Time will tell. -Acer mandshuricum, Acer triflorum, and Acer maximowiczianum all suffer through chlorosis. A. triflorum does the worst, A. maximowiczianum the best. A hybrid from Forestfarm between A. pseudoplatanus and A. griseum has done very well, with violet-backed leaves and red fall color. Hybrid vigor and no cold or soil issues. -Acer oliverianum is starting to pick up steam and has yet to be damaged by temps as low as -16F. Might be benefiting from the protection of a nearby hedge. Fall color is usually reddish-orange; it is deeply shaded. -Calycanthus raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine’ is a huge success. Massive flowering in the second year and completely hardy. Grows very fast and gets leggy unless trimmed. Flowers are gorgeous and large, with virtually no scent. Numerous visitors that have seen the plants have subsequently scoured google for a dealer. The intense color has even drawn some hummingbirds. Seedless. Highly recommend. -Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ gets defoliated by about January when the truly consistent cold temperatures begin. This about the time that the soil freezes for good as well, limiting the plant’s ability to care for the leaves no doubt. At times, it looks like a fancy houseplant with shiny green leaves growing amongst the snow. No cold-dieback although it is not yet established and grows only about 6 inches a year max so far (haven’t got an update for this past season yet). It is late to leaf out in the spring. -Have a Stewartia malacodendron that apparently did very well in a shaded and very rich sand lens in a protected area that gets partial shade. It is big enough to be above the (likely) snow line and I will be very, VERY interested in seeing if it overwinters. Perhaps more updates later (and as I receive them!)

Mindy - I'm afraid we're not a lot further ahead after visiting my neighbour's tree....! At this point, the color on hers is all from calyxes, although she says the berries, which are now green on hers, will darken in color to an intense purple. The calyxes on hers are smaller, much denser/many more of them than on mine and some of hers have berries under them. But the berries on mine are bigger and more plentiful. Her tree is in part shade and the Arnold Arboretum article did say the foliage color was best in part shade, so that might account for the difference in color of the calyxes between hers and mine. This is what the 'flower' cluster looks like on hers: I didn't take a picture of the overall tree because it is still quite small and she has limbed it up fairly high as a standard with a tall trunk, so there isn't a lot of top growth. Mine is also a standard but I allowed it to branch fairly low down because I wanted it to fill the space closer to the ground. Monique - if you're still reading this thread, can you please tell us whether all the color in the pictures you posted comes from the calyxes or is some of it from ripe fruit? Also, are those trees in full sun or do they get some shade? How sheltered is the location? When do your trees bloom? Mine doesn't start blooming until the last week of September, which doesn't allow a lot of time for fruit development/rippening before hard frosts. Also, have you had and seedlings from the fruit produced? If it produces a lot of ripe fruit, I hope it doesn't become a problem self-seeder. I will be watching my tree pretty closely to see what happens next - and I hope a hard freeze will come late this year! We've had light frost but nothing that has done much damage yet. It seems likely to me that performance varies by zone/length of growing season, sun/shade conditions, and probably by inherent differences in plants. I don't think there are named varieties in the trade yet but it appears that there may be a basis to select varieties based on the fall color of the calyxes and, perhaps, fruit production and speed of rippening.

Hello everyone - Sorry to be so late in getting this list out - am really looking forward to meeting you and "swapping". I'm thanking in advance all who have noted things on my wish list and also update the list of what I'm bringing to acommodate some other's wishes as well. Please let me know if there's anything in particular I should bring more of. AND.... can someone tell me what size plants or containers you usually bring. I'm plannng to pot things up tomorrow afternoon in 6" but I have plenty of larger nursery type containers if that's what's expected. Also... Annie are you sure I can't bring something in the way of refreshments? Thank yous to: our hostess annie for: cone flower, jerusalem artichoke, and teasel??? I'm bringing: canadian ginger, garlic chives, poppy seeds and daylilies Gata for: Lady fern Tiabuddy1: for Rose Mallow I'm bringing: red monarda & dianthus Diane4000: for Gallardia (Blanket flower)I'm bringing: creeping thyme Debra_Boston for: Joe Pie Weed and ferns I'm bringing Balloon flower and rugosa rose WendyB for: golden showers climber??? I'm bringing creeping thyme and creeping jenny Am also bringing:lots of seeds to share and: perennial sweetpea, blue and white globe thistle,pink, purple, red and white monardia, tall blue balloon flower, wild geranium in pink & purple,autumn rose sedum, onion & garlic chives, rhubarb,red, pink & white rugosa roses, and native orange daylilies as well as un-named hybrid daylilies from Center Sandwich, NH. I also have a brugmansia (in full bloom see photo at my page) to put up for adoption. Please answer quick if you're interested! Especially if I haven't mentioned something you wanted from my original list. See you all on Saturday! Robin

Everything is looking good here considering the late start. With snow melt and 0.6" rain last week, most all buds have leafed out. But, it's getting dry fast with the arrival of hot windy and sunny weather. I've already watered some of my moisture loving trees like balsam fir, white birch and some spruce that were transplanted last year. Friday is our next chance of rain although a renegade thunderstorm could happen anytime the weather gets hot.