Beautiful! I have a small one in a container that I will plant out once it gets some size. The only mature one I know of is near Raleigh at Plant Delights nursery. It is stunning and when in bloom reminds me very much of mango.

Sadly my original one from Woodlanders seemed to succumb to: being eaten down to the ground twice by deer - stems and all(!) - and possibly soil that was wetter than I expected. The incredibly heavy rains of last summer finished it off, as they did a Savage magnolia cultivar. The soils got so inundated a huge old Morus tree defoliated, but then partly refoliated later in the summer...so I'm considering that a truly exceptional, one time event. (IIRC, it was the highest June rainfall ever in Baltimore, and even higher here as is typical in periods of synoptic weather patterns)

But the good news is I've rooted the exceptional, large-leafed, -16F-surviving Howard County, MD, tree - well, a wholesale nursery I engaged rooted one. This year they are trying again, fine-tuning based on their first run, and expect to root more of them.

I did not realize they could be started from cuttings, that is great news. It is a beautiful tree among my favorites. I do wonder how they would stand up to ice storms as so many evergreens do not. That is incredible that one of these withstood -16. That is very cold hardy. Speaking of evergreens are you familiar with long stalk holly (Ilex pedunculosa)? I also have a couple of these in containers that I plan on putting out in the future. I love tropical looking plants and this one reminds a little of weeping fig.

Yeah that's an apt comparison. Some of the Asian hollies, especially, do superficially resemble a subtropical Ficus. I'm trying to propagate one of those, too.

The nursery that is rooting the Lithocarpus is also trying to root some I. purpurea.

I'll let everyone know in about a year. Don't hold your breath...LOL.

I am holding my breath. Hard to find a source for I. purpurea!

Growing holly from seed takes a LOT of patience. Collect the seed in Fall; clean the seed. Cold-stratify for the winter in fridge. Then in Spring set outside, keeping evenly moist. Nothing. Now, finally in winter I have some germinating. Only to have several little seedlings damp off.

But of course with seeds from a big collection, you have little to no idea who "daddy" was LOL.

Yes, but also some Ilex species will only accept pollen from their own species -- such as Yaupon and Ilex pedunculosa. So if you see berries on those, you can pretty much be assured you'll get pure species in the seedlings.

I don't know about Ilex purpurea. However a hybrid of this - with added vigor and maybe even hardiness could be good thing. Then select for leaf size as well!