"Chris Hogg" wrote...

"Bob Hobden" wrote:

Albizia julibrissin "Rosea' (One of my favourites which is why I have one
here from seed)

I read that it won't tolerate frost. Where are you? Surely 'W of
London' gets frosts!


The tree that I got the seeds from was growing in a friends garden near
Toulouse and they had registered -13°C on occasion. It hates wet feet in
winter i understand, although curiously the one in France was near a natural
spring. Kew appears to have lost theirs and it was planted on a raised
hillock but I noticed in a very open position. Ours is in our front garden
about 15ft to the S of our house so gets as good a baking as is possible
here in the UK, and in very well drained soil over gravel. There is another
I have noticed on the road to Shepperton that is much bigger than ours, that
one has been allowed to branch out quite low down, which is their natural
habit, ours I trained to have a 6ft trunk. I have a couple of others still
in pots one of which has flowered since it was quite young.
Not only are the flowers unusual and beautiful, the leaves are very
attractive too and have a curious habit of closing up in dull weather and at
night. A tree that goes to sleep.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK