On 16/5/08 13:20, in article ,
"Sacha" wrote:

On 16/5/08 12:45, in article ,
"echinosum" wrote:


Judith in France;791999 Wrote:
Now, short of taking a stepladder there, how can I get some seeds?
Plants and seeds are widely available, you shouldn't have a problem.
Not so rare. But be aware that they are fast-growing, wide-spreading
trees, so need a lot of room. They also create a lot of shade. And the
flowers are held high up, so it is best to plant it somewhere where you
will have a good view of it from a location higher than where it is
planted. I used to have one outside my 1st-storey window when I was a
student in Oxford.


To this I would just add that if you keep it stooled, it produces enormous
and eye catching leaves but doesn't flower.
I'm interested that you call it wide-spreading. Ours is about 9 years old
and is probably about 15' but it's not particularly spreading.

And Ray has told me that he doesn't think it's P.tomentosa but it *might* be
P. taiwaniana. Sadly, he thinks it's died - there is no sign of a flower, a
bud or a leaf! However, we do have P.tomentosa in the car park borders, so
must hope that's going to set seed. It is rather more spreading than the
other (probably improperly named) one but not to any troublesome degree.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'