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In My Garden Today Posted by Alvin in Motown, z6 on March 2, 2025, 9:07 pm During the last mild spell, last week, I was able to take a peek at a number of my protected plants. I peeled the tarp away from my Wisley Nana Aucuba, after a -3 (z6B minimum)F, back in January. Aucubas are rated only z7 hardy, or above zero minimums. However, the ONLY year, over about 20 yrs, in which this plant suffered any damage, is when I didn't make the effort to cover it with a tarp. Even though Nana is a dwarf Aucuba, she is getting big, more so horizontally. For anyone unfamilar with Aucubas, is that stems near the ground, will root, in a layering form of way. It doesn't produce much in the way of suckers: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sjS6gATiS4dtHX8F8 Although, I took a peek at several protected plants, I am including, this time around, a few plants that were completely unprotected, this winter. They went through a true z6 minimum (colder, if windchill is included). Last year, this plant was covered with a rose cone, to get it through the winter. Last season, it got too tall for a rose cone. I guess I could have assembled a taller styrofoam box, but didn't Hopefully, I won't regret not doing so, LOL. The plant is a baby PARASOL TREE, Firmiana simplex. It came from Brian's Botanicals, a couple years agp. The tree is another "official" z7 plant. Yet, Brian said that this tree survives actual ZONE 6 MINIMUMS, on his Kentucky farm. So far, the stem is fully green, and showing no browning, at all: https://photos.app.goo.gl/vPMwWZchqPiuQv4x6 Here is a pic of my totally unprotected, HIMALAYAN CEDAR, Cedrus deodara 'Silver Mist'. Sometimes, this plant is rated z7, and other times, rated z6. This plant went into the ground, in 2020, but has never received any damage: https://photos.app.goo.gl/J3KjwBm3wHdN8z9b8

Re: In My Garden Today Posted by Fred SC on March 3, 2025, 7:44 am, in reply to "In My Garden Today" Alvin, the Cedars used to be planted here everywhere around the older places. I don’t see him much nowadays, but they are beautiful. They become very sculptural in old age. You’re a Aucuba come through the winter looking good. Your Chinese Parasol tree is doing well. I had one in Greer. I like the green bark on those trees, but I don’t like the fact that after they bloom, the bloom stalk stays on the tree for a year or two, and that’s not very pretty, but otherwise they’re nice. They are considered an invasive around here. . Glad you’re winter is about over as is all of our springtime here pretty much..

Re: In My Garden Today Posted by Alvin, z6m on March 3, 2025, 9:20 pm, in reply to "Re: In My Garden Today" Thanks, Fred. I doubt if the Parasol Tree would become invasive, up here. Like Mimosa, I think of it as borderline hardy. Still, though, I love growing things, here, that often, but not always, grow in southern or western places, unprotected, but will grow here with protection. So, a bunch of things I have in my garden, are true novelties for my area. Passersby would have a difficult time, attempting to find many of my plants, locally. I like that, Lol! I agree, about the Aucuba. I have a speckled leaf form, as well. There are quite a few Aucuba cultivars, nowadays. PDN has a number of selections. The Deodars that get big, are generally the older straight species. The newer cultivars are generally grafted, like this one. These can get big, but generally after decades. Until I took this pic, I didn't know the name tag is still on. I have to make sure it hasn't begun strangling the trunk. Has your area been affected by any of the Carolinian wildfires, of late?

Re: In My Garden Today Posted by Fred SC on March 4, 2025, 1:19 pm, in reply to "Re: In My Garden Today" Alvin, fired in Pickens County, SC, a neighboring County. Worst fires are in Horry (pronounced oar- e) around Myrtle Beach. Neither fire close to me.

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