"Mike Lyle" wrote in message

I find they're growing at half a metre a year in Oz

That's a different experience to my friends. They've had them nipped
badly from frost and despite what the official site says, they are
finding them rather more cold sensitive than reported. They'd be
delighted to get any growth from the things (mind you we do live in a
part of Oz that is cold in winter).

and being sold
almost as grow-anywhere-anyhow trees.

Which I think is a mistake given that they are from the Araucaria
family. This is a wonderful family of trees but owning a lot of land
(like a farm) is required to do this family justice IMHO (and even
then they must be carefully sited to be the star attraction which will
look stunning at about 100 years old).