On 2009-06-29 23:07:32 +0100, "Bob Hobden" said:


"Sacha" wrote
snip

All I can add is that Ray Hubbard gave me two tiny Furcrea bedinghousii
which he broke off from a flower spike and I grew them up in our
greenhouse.
When big enough I planted one in a large pot and put it outside where it
has
been ever since (quite a few years) I move it up against the house wall
in
winter so it stays dryer and warmer. The other plant I kept in the
greenhouse and planted it out in a dry sunny spot in the garden last
summer,
it didn't last the winter.


Bob, we got back from Tresco this evening. I cannot begin to describe to
you or urg what the Furcraea longaeva are like there. 'Weeds' don't begin
to describe it. They are rampantly flowering all over the island - on the
edge of paths, almost on the beaches, in every garden. snip
Thanks for that, can't see us taking a flight right now unfortunately but
would welcome a seedling IDC.
Now is F. longaeva more hardy than F. bedinghausii? Suggestion is it can
take some frost, but can it take winter wet as well? Probably not.

I'll nudge Mike's memory in a week or so and we'll be sure to let you
have some when and if they get to us! I would think that they must be
able to tolerate some frost pretty well because parts of Cornwall were
actually colder than parts of Devon last winter. Charlie will know if
that applies to the areas these Furcreas have grown in Cornwall,
though. But in Tresco they would certainly be sharply drained, I
think. I'm going to try to upload some photos later today and I'll
post a link to them. No idea how sharp they'll be as the sea breezes
ensure that plants don't keep still for long!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon