Hi there... I am wondering if anyone has tried any Patagonian tree species in the Vancouver area such as any of the Nothofagus species or Drimys Winteri and Maytenus Magellanica ?
Loving this idea.... but our long deep freeze spells are too harsh for these broadleaf evergreens. Punta Arenas in Terra Del Fuego has a mean temperature that rivals Vancouvers, but our freezing winds put Patagonian plants at a greater risk to not survive... Maytenus m. can withstand temp. of -8 celsius... and breif snow spells... it may survive in Tofino, but not Vancouver...
Hmm...... well, Ushuaia at the bottom end of the range of these trees has a climate much colder than Vancouver with an extreme low of -20C and even a low of -6C in midsummer... not to mention the incessant winds down there... I don't think it gets that cold here...
I hope that some one can help this query, as I would love to see these plants thrive in our climate...
Nothofagus antarctica and N. betuloides should be no problem; both are native to Tierra del Fuego. The former even survived the severe 1981/82 winter in Denmark (zone 7) undamaged, when temperatures dropped to around -27°C. Other species from Tierra del Fuego should be OK. South American trees from further north (N. obliqua, Araucaria araucana, etc.) were all killed in Denmark in that winter.
Sounds great... I think the lowest it's ever been in the Greater Vancouver area is around -18C ... Araucaria araucana thrives here and is everywhere.... so I am hoping that it should be OK as well... I think these trees.. especially the evergreen ones are beautiful and should be planted more around the GVRD.
Deneb1978 both Drimys and Nothofagus were in the southern hemisphere garden at VanDusen. the Drimys did not survive this last winter but the nothofagus are large trees. one evergreen Nothofagus antarctica and the deciduous Nothofagus dombeyi (?) are on the northside of the Southern hemisphere garden
Cool... that's too bad about the Drimys.. but not too surprising considering this past winter was one of the worst winters we've had in quite a long time....I'll definitely head over to Van Dusen soon to see if I can buy some Nothofagus seeds... they are lovely trees.
