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!)

I don't know what the problem is but if by Field Maple you mean Acer campestre the lower picture doesn't show that species, although it does look like an Acer, FWIW I don't think you need to water so much in Ireland. A tree planted dormant in March will usually hardly need any water at all in our climate unless there's a hot patch in the summer (ha, ha).

I am actually not entirely clear as to whether or not it is a ban on export or import ban, but I suspect the latter. Only red and green leaved palmatums can be aquired here from Holland. Variegates and yellow-leaved palmatums are excluded also. As the the ethics of it, the illegal importation of plants into the united states should not be taken lightly. I am sure that it is done, but if restrictions are put in place, they are to protect native plants and production crops from pests and diseases. I am not saying I totally agree with the bureaucratic restrictions put in place, but I will also admit that I do not fully understand the implications of circumventing them. I forgot to mention that you also need to get an import permit for the plants that would have to be sent to Holland and accompany your plants here. I believe they then have to be quarantined at your site for a certain amount of time and further inspected. While we share a border with Canada, I don't think we would necessarily coordinate importation restrictions of plant material. We hardly agree on anything else as it is. MJH

Hair, I've had similar thoughts because the local sugar maples that are aggressively spreading into the oak/hickory forest here, even along the lowest floodplains, turn color quite early and the leaves get "worn out" from the summers early on (late Sept) even if located in floodplains, so soil moisture isn't the issue. My thoughts are that their origins are from well to the north and have recently spread southward. Don't know how long, but it would seem to be at least hundreds of yrs to move such distances. Many of the cultivars/nursery-sourced trees have leaves that last longer & turn later (and color better) by several weeks & I'm guessing their origins are more southern (southern Appalachians/lower midwest) & better adapted to summer heat/higher sun-angles. Of course, logging practices may be partly responsible, but that doesn't explain why distinctly more northern-adapted trees are present in the wild here in such numbers (and spreading). And no, summers here are not getting hotter -- in fact, they're not as hot as the 30s (109F in Cumberland, MD in July 1930) and late 50s thru the 60s.