Embothrium - Yes! Those flowers look like a match for what the magnolia put out this spring. Thank you for the heads up. It is a beautiful shrub and I had already decided to keep it anyway just for it's shape and presence. Now hopefully it will continue to get more impressive as it ages. Maackia - hahahaha Edit: I didn't find a pic of the flower this spring (I was too frustrated/disappointed at the time to take one) BUT I did find a pic of it from last fall where it turned a very nice yellow =)

what kind of patio ... ken

Hi Lenfocenter/ Your long tubed fuchsia sounds like one of the many triphylla types. Here is a link below from a friend of mine with guidelines on how to hybridize. I do not know of a site where you might find info of the two crosses that you mentioned. Kath:) Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.thebfs.org.uk/hybridize/

I've seen lots of DDB, it is a popular landscape tree in the SE. I've only seen one EB, my tree. EB's main claim to fame is it's supposed hardiness. Mine is in full sun and wide open, no large trees anywhere near it. It is about 20-25 years old from a one gallon. It is wider than high, branched to the ground, and fairly open with somewhat long willowy branches. It took a long time to bloom, and is even now a rather shy bloomer. Blooms are of average size. For me EB has been of average hardiness, it has never lost any wood or suffered any bark split, but it has had browned foliage, though never defoliated. On a scale of 1-5 I rate it 3. DDB is very popular and often seen in private landscapes and especially public ones. It is upright in youth and more spreading as it ages, but taller than wide. Foliage is deep glossy green above and copper/red beneath, especially when young. The tree presents a lush, rich appearance and is a vigorous grower. Floriferousness has been average, but blooms are well formed and slightly smaller than average, a good thing IMHO. Hardiness has been on a par with EB for me, the literature says less hardy than other hardy clones, zone 7. On a scale of 1-5 I rate it 5. All magnolias grown under conditions you describe will tend to be open, with slightly larger than average foliage and less than average bloom, all due to shade. If DDB and EB are the only clones under consideration, my choice would be DDB.