In article ,
Dave Poole wrote:
Nick Maclaren wrote:

Does anyone know how hardy this is? Bean says not (and that is my most
reliable source), but several other sources say that it is fairly hardy.

Nick, I grew this on several occasions in several sites 'oop't noorth
in't Midlands' where it withstood frequent exposures down to minus 8
or 10C. In each case, it was planted against south or west facing
house walls and never suffered at all. Bean is too conservative about
its cold tolerance - given the inevitable wind shelter that a wall
provides, Itea illicifolia appears remarkably tough. total freezing
of the roots will cause problems, but if you go for a house wall, the
chances of that happening even in a Cambridge winter are remote.

Thanks very much.

Where I want to put it isn't next to a wall, but isn't wholly exposed,
either. In the past 5-10 years, we haven't had a frost that got below
the top 1-2" - which wasn't true in earlier years.

The reason that I thought it might be hardier than Bean thinks is that
the Sunset book says that it can take (its) zone 4, which has colder
winters than even Cambridge of 10-25 years ago. And the soil at Kew
is a lot heavier than it is here, which makes quite a difference to
some plants.

Anyway, I shall report. I am optimistic about Erythrina crista-galli
and Passiflora incarnata, but I shall see if my optimism is justified.
It definitely does seem that Feijoa sellowiana is much more resistant
to frost when in a pot than many books claim, too.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.