To throw something exotic out, one of the most memorable tree species I can remember were the pohutukawas on the north coast of the North Island of New Zealand. They remind me a lot of live oaks (Quercus virginiana) in size and form, but they grow especially in dramatic locations along the coast, all of which makes them fabulous trees already, but on top of that they have amazing mid-summer (Christmas time) flowers. From a distance they look just like they're covered in poinsettias: it's that same striking red and it just covers the tree, again like a poinsettia. I can't think of any other full-sized trees (especially not that grow in my region) that just cover themselves with color like that; the closest thing I can think of is a peach tree, except peach trees are nowhere near the size, and pink isn't quite is stunning. And the nectar of the pohutukawa also makes probably the most delicious honey I've ever eaten (and I'm a beekeeper and I used to really be into collecting different honeys, so I've probably tried close to a hundred varietal honeys.) I only have limited exposure to pohutukawas, but it was very memorable. Speaking of amazing trees that aren't native to the Southeast, I'd have to mention the obvious giant sequoias and coastal redwoods. But even the old growth tulip-poplars (yellow-poplars) in the western part of my state (NC) are similarly amazing, even if they'd be dwarfed by the giant sequoias and coastal redwoods. As far as the kind of trees that I could grow where I'm located (west of Winston-Salem), Asian persimmons (D. kaki) are terrific landscape trees, especially the late ripening, astringent-until-ripe varieties that hold large, bright orange fruit into December and even beyond. And the fruit is delicious. Besides fresh eating, it makes perhaps the best dried fruit I've ever tasted. And the trees and fruit are generally easy to grow and trouble free. For a native tree, I love mature shortleaf pines. They're a great lumber tree in the woods (and as boards), and they're a great specimen tree grown in the open, almost as pleasing to me as a mature, spreading Quercus alba, which I'd have to mention, too. I like gingkos for their symmetry, but especially for their fall color and the way the leaves fall off in one tremendous cascade the first morning after the first hard fall freeze. I don't know if figs really count as trees, but for fruit that's trouble-free (except for infrequent winter injury in my location, from which it recovers very quickly), as enjoyable to eat as any fruit I can think of (besides also making excellent dried fruit, depending somewhat on variety), and with such a long season (potentially July-early November here), I don't think any other fruit can compare.

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 just thought of something though. There are some places in Europe which may have calcerous soil, and white oak, Q. Alba (if I recall correctly) like slightly acidic soil. That may be the reason why Q. Alba isn't seen in some European places. I have 2 Q. Robur here and a baby Q. Cerris, so they must be able to cope here in slightly acid soil, and our trees need a lower PH, this is my guess. But if there are peat bogs there must be areas near these bogs that could support a tree that likes things acidic or neutral. These bogs must have affected areas nearby with rain run-off helping to buffer the high PH, unless I don't know what I';m talking about, which is likely. Another thing to mention to those in Europe unfamiliar with US summers. I can only speak about Pennsylvania, I suppose. Even though we are far up north kinda, it can be mostly 80 + F, sometimes 90 + F, which would be 27-33 C. Mostly in the 80's F, so high 20's C. I wish we had cool summers. I usually wait for it to be pretty cool out to do much work outside.

resin brings up some good points, but like in the case of Liriodendron, the previous more widespread populations(one in North America and the other in Eurasia) were still isolated from each other and there's no evidence that they were mixing or exchanging genetic material up until 3 or 4 million years ago(when their ranges shrunk drastically), rather all genetic studies seem to reveal they became genetically isolated from each other about 47 to 50 million years ago. The same is true for all the other Eastern North America - East Asia dichotomies I've read phylogenetic studies about. There are exceptions for more Northern species of which some even have circumpolar native ranges today. It's possible some of the more warm temperate species could have exceptions also, but I haven't read about any yet. Most seem to correspond with the geologic isolation of Eastern North America from Eurasia. Also, most all recent phylogenetic studies appear to show that Quercus sect. Quercus originated in North America and migrated to Europe and East Asia in at least 2 different events. The genetics seem to suggest that most European Quercus sect. Quercus arrived at about the same time there is evidence of a land bridge between Europe and North America(via Greenland) while East Asian Quercus sect. Quercus arrived at about the same time other evidence suggest there was a land bridge between North America and Asia(Alaska-Siberia). I should point out that the land bridges occurred during a warm enough climate to support the migration of warm temperate species and at a time when Eastern North American(or their ancestors) species of plants were more widespread and so they were growing in Western North America also, so the more recent ice age land bridges wouldn't of allowed any migration of these species since the climate was too cold for these plants to migrate. At least that's the best conclusions that can be drawn from what we know right now. I believe a couple of European species seem to have come about from migration from North America to Asia and then to Europe. I'll have to go and dig through a pile of stuff to find the study that suggested this last part though. More back to the original topic, I think it's most probable that animals, drifting "rafts", wind born seed, and ancient humans were all capable and indeed account for many new migrations of plants(newer than continental drift would allow) and range expansions. I also think that it's quite possible and probable that extinct fauna was responsible for some of this as well. It gets even more complicated when these "new" migrants mix with previously isolated populations and help create new species which are made up of genetic lineages from both the isolated populations and the new migrants, as well as the isolated "older" and the "new" migrant populations continuing in a relatively unmixed state. Then if further "new" migrants arrive, more mixing(with both the older isolated population and the last "new" migrant and the new mixed lineage populations) is possible and more complication. So things can (and on some islands at least do seem to) get very complicated over the millennia in many cases. Of course the newer migrants can and do continue to evolve so they become distinct species. Also, as far as I can recall from all the studies I've read it doesn't appear that these newer migration events are really all that common, but over millions of years it doesn't take a high rate of events to have big impacts.