Agathis australis, not a fast grower here

Agathis corbassonii

Agathis lanceolata

Agathis macrophylla

Agathis moorei

Agathis robusta

another Agathis robusta

Araucaria angustifolia

Araucaria araucana x angustifolia

Araucaria bidwillii, this specimen was planted about 16 years ago. Previously a 70ft tall specimen grew here but was killed by lightning. It was a historic specimen planted in the early 1900's.

Another Araucaria bidwillii growing in more shade

Araucaria biramulata

Araucaria columnaris, mistakenly sold as A. heterophylla, "Norfolk Island Pine" in the nursery trade, this is very common in central and southern Florida.

Araucaria cunninghamii

Araucaria cunninghamii, glaucous form

Araucaria heterophylla (rare in Florida)

Araucaria hunsteinii

Araucaria laubenfelsii

Araucaria luxurians

Araucaria mackeeii

Araucaria montana

Araucaria nemorosa

Araucaria neocookii

Araucaria rulei

Araucaria rulei

Araucaria scopulorum

Wow, those Araucarias are especially beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Awesome.

I missed all these when I was there. Thought I walked around most of the place, too. I did have somebody with me who wasn't a gardener, had limited interest as well as problems walking far.

(A bunch of specific trees at Kew also got past me. This time I was traveling with a plant person, but they thought we didn't need to see all of it. We were also there early in the year, when not everything was in leaf, and a lot of the trees weren't labeled).

Leu araucarias clearly a major collection, although many of them are thin due to the shading. Of course, the thinking may be that they need protection from the heat in the early years.

Reminds me of all the rare conifers at Humboldt State University. There is also a comparatively new, multiple species araucaria display at Balboa Park. It's off in a fringe area, unfortunately, on an open lawn near an arterial. And had no labeling when we were there. Bums had been hanging out there already, I can only imagine what will happen when the conifers fill in.

Some are growing in shade but it is bright filtered shade that gets some full sun during the day. This also helps with frost protection if we ever get a bad freeze. Most are planted adjacent to the cycad collection to connect 2 prehistoric collections though there are some Araucariaceae growing among the cycads along with Ginkgo, Metasequoia, Magnolia, horsetail, and tree ferns.

Seeing this again Eric, I caught a whiff of Florida in my mind's nose. It's six below zero Fahrenheit here this morning! Thanks again for a nice treatment.

I missed this post the first time. Nice to see these growing somewhere in the eastern US...still seems a little more accessible than SoCal although I haven't been to Florida in ages. I wonder if it is too hot for Agathis australis? (which is actually native to the North Island of NZ, not Australia.) Maybe it needs to be grafted onto the more heat tolerant Agathis robusta from AU? Do any other conifers native to the mainland of NZ manage to grow there?

It probably is too hot here for Agathis australis, especially summer nights when from May to Oct. it doesn't get below 70F and usually is above 75F at night. I've tried other NZ conifers and none grow here except Dacrycarpus dacrydioides.

Well conifers are tough generally speaking. What about broad leaved plants from NZ. Do any survive for you? I don't remember seeing Phormiums in the deep south...but I guess I could just have missed them. Amazingly a book about gardening in New Orleans claimed that Azara microphylla will grow there. Yep, a Chilean plant from the faraway land of eternally low dewpoints...but...related to willows so perhaps being in a weedy family explains the quite anomalous ability to survive intense humidity and hot, wet soils. So I was prompted to try one and indeed, it is unbothered by summers here in MD. One of the only Chilean plants you can say that for. (of course it is barely hardy enough for the winters, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it)

I wonder if you could grow Freycinetia banksii? Again, maybe being from a strange family, even for New Zealand, might help. Good luck finding it! There are other, more tropical members of that genus too.

You're travelling in strange lands there, davidrt!

And even worse trying to grow the plants of strange lands ;-)

We have tried NZ plants but without luck. Phormiums just don't make it through the summer here. I wish they would.

Freycinetia, now you're talking! Pandanaceae are one of my favorite groups of plants and we have a young pandan collection here. We have about 25 different species of Pandanus here. The only Freycinetia I have ever been able to acquire is F. cumingiana, a shrubby species from the Philippines that is cold sensitive. I would love to try some NZ Freycinetia, escpecially the vining species.

What about Cunninghamia or Thujopsis? Are they grown there?

I guess you saw my other recent thread? In all my life of observing plants, I think seeing Freycinetia banksii in habitat came the closest to outright blowing my mind as the cliche goes. Actually, comparable to the first time I saw a full sized. well grown flowering Phormium in Nice, France as a 19 year old. You* just never forget seeing such strange plants.

* - well if one is a lover of plants haha. I guess most punters see such things, or the New Caledonian Araucarias, and are just like, eh, whatever?

Cunninghamia grow here but I think it looks better in north FL on the heavier clay soils than our sandy soil. We are growing C. lanceolata (and the cultivars 'Glauca' and 'Samurai'), C. konishii and C. unicanaliculata. I know C. unicanalicuata is lumped back into C. lanceolata but it is the best grower here. The dwarf, prostrate forms just haven't grown well. They get fungus after a few years and brown out. I have tried C. konishii 'Coolwyn Comp', C. konishii 'Litte Leo', C. lanceolata 'Greer's Dwarf' and an unnamed dwarf C. lanceolata.

I am also growing 3 different Thujopsis; T. dolobrata var. hondae, 'Koreanum', and 'Nana'. The cultivar 'Variegata' will just not grow here. I have tried several in sun, deeper shade, bright shade and part sun (morning sun, afternoon shade) with no luck.

Davidrt28, great photos! The Freycinetia is awesome!

Thujopsis 'Variegata' looks pretty mangy at Duke Gardens. Maybe they just aren't suited to the south.

Thank you, Eric.

Cunninghamia is a real water hog. When a branch is removed, it's quick to wilt. Maybe that's why it likes heavier soil. My Little Leo is doing fine, but it's still very young.