Have been relatively easy to find in garden centers during recent springs down here. A borderline item for you, coldest winters even taking out long-established ones growing within sight of salt water. A conspicuously located example that grew for years against a house near the Blaine border crossing - but disappeared after a bad freeze - was just about as close as could be to salt water short of being on the beach itself. Another, quite tall one - perhaps a record specimen - near White Rock (but farther inland, on the flats) was also eventually destroyed by cold. Down this way these come through the worst cold if located nor more than few to several miles from Puget Sound. Even within the Seattle city limits specimens too far east may be lost at some point, for instance one in the former C. Leo Hitchcock garden near the west shore of Lake Washington had been reduced to a jumble of fairly thick logs by a cold snap before I ever saw the tree myself. So, I would wait until spring - when these are much more likely to be at (independent) retail outlets - to try one anyway.
I have one that came from the VanDusen spring plant sale 2-3 years ago. Believe it was started as a cutting from 'Norquinco Valley'. There were quite a few available at that time.
Thanks so much for the advice. I go to the VanDuesen garden sale each year so now I know what to look for.
