I just came across a group of three Acer Griseum in a shopping centre planting. There were seeds germinating all over the floor. have potted up around 50. They had really varied bark. Beautiful things. This cold winter here has been a huge help!

Potted plants that small are easily protected in winter by sinking into the ground or moving into a more protected location. A fellow GW'er living in Michigan and a very active Container Gardening forum member grows hundreds of plants, including trees, in containers that he manages to overwinter quite handily. The advantage of being able to provide specialized care for these tiny plants easily outweighs any drawbacks regarding the extra effort they might require in a container, as arktrees notes. And I wouldn't worry much about any need for root pruning during the couple of seasons they are held in containers before planting out into a permanent location - it is unlikely to be required during that short a time span.

bet you didn't think I'd be jumping in on this thread. I admit sometimes - a lot of the time - I'm a lazy gardener. For various reasons this year I placed the most mail order purchases ever, and at the same time saying "never again". A perfect storm converged of a lot of things being available I wanted to try either for the first time, or the last time LOL. It was over 100 plants if you count the orders I got in late fall. I had ordered just a few seeds last fall but as the spring progressed, with a lot else on my mind like the trip to Cali. I just kept putting it off. And off. And off. Keeping the incoming plants alive was the focus. Finally I sowed some - gasp - in the last week of May! Germination rate wasn't great, but if these survive it will work out ok, because I only really want one Abies georgei and Dalbergia hupehana. Neat trees though they may be, I don't have room for a grove of them. BTW the rosewood is just sleeping for the night. It's actually growing really fast. Some old seeds of a Callistemon 'Woodlanders Hardy' that died in the first cold winter didn't germinate, I guess they had gotten too old.

It would need to have a very special site in zone 4. I see that its growth rate varies quite a bit based on zone but they generally are very slow growing. They've grown mere inches on the lots I planted specimens. For example the very first one I planted was about about 7 years old at the time of planting and its now 16 years old. Its 7' tall but its caliper is close to 6". I have a different 7' tall specimen that is more narrow growing so their habits vary quite a bit. I feel like they are generally more narrow and dense due to dieback in our zone. I spotted one at a property that was tucked away in the middle of nowhere (outskirt of West Bend, WI) that had either a hybrid or species that was 20'+. If its the species...wow. I'm tempted to go back and ask the owner if I can look at it. Most of the hybrids grow faster. Shaved Chocolate likely has the best exfoliating bark. I have one that is roughly 7 years old and its 6' tall but was moved from its original planting location. I have a Bronze tablet that put on 2' of growth this year but in a very special east cove planting. 1 gallon plant from Song Sparrow 2 years ago. I share pics later when I'm at my home computer. Its by far my favorite tree so I collect all the hybrid cultivars. Now if I could only find that damn sugar and paperbark hybrid.