Guys I have been following the Wollemi story ever since it broke, here in Australia. My specimen is now about 7 yrs old and going great guns. We had a VERY wet summer a couple of years ago and the growing tip looked like it was dying. The following spring it was a bit slow in getting going again, but when it did, it put on three leaders and a couple of new shoots from the base. With 5 active growing points, it was definately slower growing, last year, compared to previous years As posters have pointed out, there is very limited genetic diversity, but there is some. There have been 3 stands located, totalling about 100 'individual' trees, 2 of which are genetically identical, while the 3rd shows some variation. The exact location of the canyon where they are, is still a closely guarded secret, though some canyoners and bush walkers have found it. The first time I saw one, at Mt Annon Botanical Garden, my immediate response was "I have seen this before, somewhere!". Knowing the canyon where they had been located, was somewhere in the vicinity of Newnes, I realised that I had probably, totally unknowingly, seen them a few years earlier. A group of us had decided to go canyoning near Newnes, and our "trusty leader" assured us that we wouldn't need wetsuits etc, as our planned route was totally dry. We knew we were not on the proper route when we came to a point where there was a hole, at least 6-8 ft deep and about 20 ft across, full of beautiful, clear, cold water. The only way forward was down to undies and swim. The girls were NOT impressed. Looking back, I bet we walked passed them without realising whart they were, apart from, obviously, being one of the Araucaria. It has been shown to propagate quite well from cuttings, and naturally coppices. Seeds were located on and around the trees, but no seedlings were observed in the wild. This could be due to insufficient light/moisture in the canyon because the seeds have been shown to be viable in controlled conditions.

Arlene, seeds I avoid winter sowing at all are tender annuals, vegetables or any seed that only needs 7 to 10 days warm temperatures to germinate. Down here that would be not only a waste of time but a sure recipe for failure because we have stretches of mild winter days with periods of very warm temperatures and very little snow. I sow tiny seeds by picking them up with a barely damp finger and pressing them into the soil and then firm it gently down but I make sure its firm. I use 4" square plastic pots with snack bags on top, those fit real tight and are short enough to keep from sagging down on the soil. You can pick up the whole pot by the tight fitting bag. Its real easy to sow too thickly so I do these seeds more carefully than larger ones, those I just space out on the top and use a dull pencil to bury to the correct depth and then firm down the soil. Otherwise you end up with crowded seeds coming up in a solid mass thats a mess to deal with in spring and plants that are competing or need pricking out. For me, this is much easier than messing with milk jugs when sowing and even more convenient when transplanting. Each pot might have 4 or five plants which I just tamp out and divide in spring. These pots fit nicely into flats which makes carrying them easier and if they dry out, I simply set them in shallow water. Usually I only have to do that once or twice in winter. I keep them under our car port where it stays clean and cool on warmer days. Its all a matter of what fits best for each person and their climate. I just store seeds in a dark dry place in a box, not the refrigerator, especially not for fresh seeds that only need to be stored a couple months.

This will be the first time I've tried Purple Sensation allium, but I do have the drumstick allium as well as the blue one, whatever it is called. For 3 years now they have come back strong...no problems of hardiness at all. I'm not sure if the larger novelty gladiator types are as hardy or not. Mine are planted in full sun, and they seem to like that best. Mine do not flop in the wind at all, they are much sturdier than they appear! I've read that for the big alliums, they need REALLY good drainage to stay upright. As for the unsightly foliage...well, I have mine interplanted with lilies, and I think they look awesome. The foliage just seems to sort of disappear, I don't notice it when it dies at all. I leave the blooms on after they go to seed; I think they look kind of neat. One of my favorite perennials! You can tuck it in just about anywhere.

It was most likely a Bunya Bunya especially since it was in Venice (south FL). They look very similar to a Monkey Puzzle and have been mistakenly called MP in Florida for many decades. The true MP comes from Chile and prefers a cooler climate like the Pacific Northwest or the warmer parts of the British Isles. Florida's climate is just too hot for them, it makes them very prone to fungus. The Bunya Bunya is from eastern Australia and grows well here. Except old, tall specimens are very prone to lightning strikes. These were brought into Florida in the late 1800s and were common novelty tree decades ago. You still see them in older neighborhoods but hardly ever sold anymore in garden centers. They are very prickly, and get large so need room. Also female trees bear very large cones that can weigh 20-40 lbs. Its a good tree for large estate lawns or parks. They are hardy through central FL and into the warmest parts of north FL. Prolonged temperatures below about 16-17F is usually fatal. In north FL and other areas of the South, China-Fir, Cunninghamia lanceolata, is common. It can resemble a Monkey Puzzle and sometimes mistakenly called that. But it is not related as it is in the Cypress Family (Cupressaceae) and not Araucariaceae.