Re: Paulownia (Pawlonia)
- To: "Sean A. O'Hara"
- Subject: Re: Paulownia (Pawlonia)
- From: j* z*
- Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 08:12:04 +1100
Sean, I grow (and sell) 2 forms of HP here (1.5 hours out of Sydney), with
the warning that frost might knock it off (particularly with wind), and
that it does need a tad more water than some realise. my own plants are
interspersed with roses, heliotrope etc and to my delight have become
nesting grounds for blue wrens - in fact sometimes my pruning and shaping
of them looks slightly ridiculous as I skirt around nests......... closer
to Sydney they can become very 'ratty' and rot easily because of the high
humidity - much good silver/grey foliage is not overly happy there......(am
very pleased to have a broader perspective on the 'capabilities' of this
plant).
The key aspect of confusion I referred to was following a discussion I had
about a bush regenerators list of weeds for a region adjacent to Sydney
with an astute gardener and bushwalker from that area. In a number of cases
they had never seen some of the listed plants in the bush, and noted that
these plants did not do well even in cultivation in their area. Hence my
doubt as to whether the paulownia is perhaps the weed in the Sydney region
that this list implies......
----------
> From: Sean A. O'Hara <sean.ohara@groupmail.com>
> To: remontant@myisp.net.au
> Cc: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
> Subject: Re: Paulownia (Pawlonia)
> Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 5:33 AM
>
> At 10:26 PM 1/29/01 +1100, jane zammit wrote:
> >Gay, fascinating isn't it, based on some conversations earlier this
evening
> >I am now totally confused as to the reliablility of the data of the bush
> >regeneration people - (apart from the fact that your area is probably
too
> >cold), cheers.......
>
> Jane -
>
> Yes, it is confusing. It has to do with the regional climate
differences,
> the very reason for this e-mail forum. What is a weed in one area, isn't
> always elsewhere, and visa-versa. Different climates provide the
> opportunities for a plant to get out of control, or not. Some plants
that
> are horribly invasive in climates like Sydney, Florida, and Pretoria are
> even hard to keep alive in Los Angeles, Naples, or Perth.
>
> Paulownia is a major menace in the South Eastern states of the USA, and
> there are tremendous efforts underway to stem its spread. But in the
same
> country, over here on the western edge, is a very different climate, this
> tree is almost never a problem - indeed it is relatively never seen, even
> though there are trees planted in various parts for the past 40 years.
>
> Local condition are the important consideration. A plant that was very
> popular locally (and still is to some degree), Helichrysum petiolare, in
> its plain gray or variegated forms, never seemed to pose a particular
> problem. As drought tolerant at it is, it was know to die out completely
> in an unirrigated garden. Capable to growing to 6ft in a year, it was
> actually prized for a quick effect, and since the new shoots were the
best,
> people cut it back as wildly as it grew.
>
> In recent years though, it was discovered growing on the ocean-side flank
> of Mount Tamalpias, a beautiful chaparral covered landmark in our Marin
> County, north of San Francisco. Here, with plenty of ocean fog to wet it
> throughout the year, and the cooler condition in which it thrives, it has
> quickly taken over a huge amount of land, blanketing (and killing) all of
> the native vegetation in its path. It provided no real cover or food for
> wildlife, and was rampantly out of control. Huge efforts are needed
> eradicate it and make sure it does not take over again. Now, many
> nurseries refuse to sell this plant, even though it is still in vogue
> elsewhere, and it is routinely suggested as a good plant in magazines and
> books.
>
> In other climates, this plant might never be a problem due to temperature
> extremes (it is considered annual on our Eastern US coast).
>
> So, we share information to learn more about what is possible, and we try
> and keep the our focus and share our knowledge with others in climates
like
> our own, but ultimately, we need to make sure it works for us in our own
> situations.
>
> Regards,
> Sean O.
>
> h o r t u l u s a p t u s - 'a garden suited to its purpose'
> Sean A. O'Hara fax (707) 667-1173 sean.ohara@groupmail.com
> 710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
