Barrie Mather wrote:

John Doe wrote:

Hi,

I am looking for a tree that could be grown and kept in a pot (a
40x40x40cm container). I thought about a Native frangipani
(hymenosporum flavum) because the habitat of its roots is known to be
small.

Can this tree be grown in a pot ?
Is it going to die or just ultimately have a small size ?

I'd like to use this tree for screening purposes on our terrace.

I wonder if you will be able to get much screening

from one 40 x 40 cm pot, nomatter what you plant in it
I'd consider a cumquat, there are several varieties,
they flower frequently, their fruit makes award-winning
marmalade
Barrie

Cumquats grow very prettily in pots and you can make a repulsive jam (well - my
Mum likes it...) from the fruits. You can choose from the original one with deep
green glossy leaves or a newer variegated variety. Both are easy to keep happy
and I *think* there's a dwarf habit (which, obviously, will do better in a pot).

I've had a Pittosporum undulatum growing in a 40cm pot for the past five years
and it's doing fine. I never got around to planting it out and it made such a
pretty speciment near the back door, I've just left it there! (I should add that
I've got a Ginkgo biloba growing under the same circumstances and it's very
pretty too!) I should think Hymenosporum flavum would do pretty well in a pot -
just make sure you have plenty of mulch for it and never let it get completely
dry!

(I've often wondered whether H.flavum has only a short lifespan? The one I had
(in the garden, not in a pot) only survived about six years and then passed away
suddenly, its leaves turning brown and the upper trunk snapping off abruptly at
about ten feet! Does anyone know the lifespan of H. flavum???)

--
Trish {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia