You might try posting this in the California forum, where there may be folks growing this in large containers -- plus, they'll be able to give you sources to buy, or google "California native plant nursery." Don't start from seed unless you're really, really, into delayed gratification; your tree won't look anything like a bonsai for 10+ years. Jim

I have a madrone tree and love it. I have never observed seed formation. I planted the cutting around 12 years ago and it grows so slowly. Perhaps the seed formation requires more time. I know that cuttings are very difficult and I was fortunate to receive one from the high school propagation project of 15 years ago.

I live in an area that has a great many Madrones in the valleys, but few big ones. I think the cattle did them in at sometime. My friend has one that she can climb into. I am jealous. I have about 20 of them on my land, and I am finding more as I clear brush, but , alas, they are small. The one by my back door is about 10' tall and the bark is starting to flake off and get some character and color. When we moved hear it reached to my shin. Every year I buy lots of wire and search for madrones and cage them off from the deer so they do not eat them. There are all sorts of beliefs about them. There is an area in back of Henly TX that has a huge colony and some people think that they are all connected by their roots and if disturbed the whole colony will suffer. I am not that alarmist but the trees are disappearing. I just heard another weird story that they are aluminum sensitive and they are dying because the Government are riddling our sky with aluminum in the chem trails. I am not falling for that one just yet, maybe never. I think the deer are out of balance and they deer are eating the babies along with red oaks, escarpment black cherries and redbuds. They stay tiny till I cage them and then they get large quickly. That tells me that the deer are eating and if I stop that interference, then they grow. There is a large one in the back of the valley where it is too steep for deer. I love Madrones.

You may be able to get a plant at Home Depot or Lowes in your area. I run across them while looking for bamboo every year, and at this time of the year they should be priced cheap. Kt