..and I would like to distribute some to people who know what they are doing and will propagate them. If you have access to a greenhouse and are interested in propagating this species for non-commercial purposes only, please respond with your email address. This species is important to me and I would like to see it some form of ex-situ conservation. If you live in the UK or the PNW of North America and would like to grow some, respond with an email address. Thanks.
Joey, I just googled Fitzroya seeds (because I had no idea what you were talking about) and found several people that are looking for the seeds. Also, something about them not being sent, allowed, or something here in the states. In fact Your UBC Post is about fourth down on googles list. It seems they are rare. Maybe this will help you find interested parties. In fact one gal on this site lives in So. America, West Coast and deals with endangered Hard Wood Trees. She goes by "Lorax". Send her a pvt. mess. if you want. barb
Fitzroya wouldn't succeed in Ecuador where Lorax is from - it comes from south-central Chile and needs a cool oceanic climate. It's also a conifer, not a hardwood ;-) The US restriction is an import/export one, because Fitzroya is a CITES-listed endangered species; seed within the US can be sent to other US addresses freely.
Old trees in Europe (planted 1849 onward) have been producing seeds for decades. The seeds were all infertile though, as only a single clone had been introduced, and the species is strongly out-crossing. More recently (1995 onward), fresh introductions have brought a wider range of genetic material, so seed might be viable now. Seed production begins young, some of the new plants at RBG Edinburgh have been producing cones for several years already, as in this pic.
Gosh I am really keen to try to grow Fitzroya (Alerce) in the northern Appalachians in Pennsylvania. Joey I don't suppose you are still around. If anyone else has Fitzroya Seeds to share for non-commercial purposes please shout out! As discussed by others the CITES ban on Seed Sales in this instance should be reconsidered. If the foretold global climate changes do indeed occur, Fitzroya cannot continue to survive in Patagonia. Trees in Tibet are in a similar situation. Joey speaks of folks who "know what they're doing" with these seeds. Taxodium distichum is perhaps similar and is a good seed to gain some experience. Beyond that - if anyone has direct experience with these seeds, please share! It is a spectacular tree! Probably Fitzroya is much more suited to coastal British Columbia than Pennsylvania.
