Re: arbutus?

Nan,
I am not sure if I understand your question.  In what
sense do you mean, toughest?  Drought tolerance,
resistance to deer, susceptability to
insects/diseases?

I would say that all of them are generally hardy/tough
plants, but in my experience of growing them all in a
cool/mild Berkeley situation, both A. unedo and A.
'Marina' are very subject to thrips, which will attack
many plants in my garden such as rhododendrons,
Myrtus, Luma apiculata, Luculia species, etc.  I have
not had this same problem with the two Arbutus in
clients gardens in nearby Oakland/Albany, and think it
has to do with the peculiarities of my local
microclimate.

Arbutus unedo is also prone to die back from
phytophthera on occasion, and is also a favorite deer
food here in the SF Bay Area.  Arbutus 'Marina' is
certainly tough in the sense that it is much more
tolerant of summer watering and clay soils than the
native A. menziesii, which I have never been able to
establish successfully planted out in client's gardens
in 5 or 15 gallon containers; they always seem to die
eventually.  I personally prefer A. 'Marina' for the
beauty of the trunks and larger size, but it is a very
messy tree if used over pavement, and generates alot
of litter over time.  I have both in my own garden,
and in our local microclimate, they are tough enough
to survive without any supplemental irrigation once
established.
--- N Sterman <TalkingPoints@PlantSoup.Com> wrote:

> In your experience, what is the toughest arbutus? 
> Compacta?  Unedo?   
> x Marina?
> 
> Nan
> 
> 
> Nan Sterman                                   Plant
> Soup, Inc. TM
> TalkingPoints@PlantSoup.Com
> PO Box 231034
> Encinitas, CA 92023
> 
> Catch this year's Encinitas Garden Festival, April
> 8, 2006.
> 
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> 
> 
> 


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