Re: "Golden Oak of Cyprus"

Kurt,
One thing I have observed is that an arbutus tree eventually pines away
in a lawn.  This is where people feel that watering the lawn is killing
the tree.  But arbutus trees need a lot of water - this is why they are
dependent, in medit climates, on the fungi's assistance in supplying it
during periods of drought.  A healthy ectomychorrhizal soil is
resistance to weeds.  In this case, the lawn grass is a weed.
Arbutus seeds have a germination rate of over 90% so many seedlings get
started, their longetivity dependent on being in a site that has not
been cultivated or subject to heavy traffic.  Soil compaction can kill
the underground network.

The other kind of mycorrhiza is endomycorrhiza which does its fruiting
underground.  Trees such as maples, ash, elms and sycamores can survive
under blacktop because they use this type of ecosystem.

Diane Pertson
(the mediterranean east coast of Vancouver Island)


> << Our native Arbutus menziesii is entirely dependent upon underground
>  mycorrhizal networks.  >>
>
> Diane:
>
> Thanks for this interesting bit of info.  Perhaps that is why you
don't
> observe this attractive native in a garden setting more often.  I
wonder that
> no mention is made of mycorrhizal fungi in connection with the
cultivation of
> Arbutus menziesii in the otherwise excellent book "Growing California
Native
> Plants," by Marjorie Schmidt.  I've seen mycorrhiza products for sale
at
> garden centers, but wasn't sure of their usefulness.  It's possible
that many
> other plants that are considered difficult to grow in a garden setting
are
> really just pining away for a fungus!
>
> Kurt
>
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