"Sacha" wrote in message
id...
Following Janet's recommendation of this tree, I'm very pleased to say
that
I have found one at the Duchy nursery in Cornwall, which also supplied us
with some Populus balsamifera. Very satisfactory result! And I *think*
I've
found a source of Acer Coonara Pygmy - fingers crossed!
Our local branch of Morrisons, in Totnes, has some Alders planted in the
car
park and one, in particular, has enormously long catkins - every year I
promise myself that I'll try to get some seeds from it and this year I
really must kick myself to remember to do it!
~~~~~~~~
Alnus is very variable from seed. Almost perverseley so. Much better to
try for a graft or bud. [Have never tried cuttings] If the Morrison
specimen is of glutinosa origin then it will not grow from seed anyway.
Beware of the stickiness of the balsamifera. Impossible to remove from
clothes without petrol and annoying on hands etc. Every little piece roots
with abandom and grows rapidly.
I have a Populus lasiocarpus [originally from Westonbirt] with leaves
so large that rhubarb blushes and covers itself with bundles of cotton wool.
This is quite rare and one of the relatively few things I can grow!!
Best Wishes Brian.



--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
)