Dododneas and other shrubby trees.

	Dear Glenn and Planters,				5/10/00

I swear I've read that Dodanea viscosa was native to the US Southwest 
like Arizona.  In any case you are the first person to mention my 
exact experience with a dark purple nursery clone.  It was 15-18' 
tall, a privacy screen behind our spa when it blew over in a wind 
storm uprooting a very poor root system.  We uprighted it, replanted 
it and planted next to it Cytisus 'Rote Favoriten', a fabulous hybrid 
or selection.  They have intertwined and the worst wind won't budge 
it now.  Unfortunately when I have used it in designs as a screen it 
has
caused problems by copious self seeding.

We also had the same trouble with two favorite trees, Casuarina stricta and
Acacia stenophylla.  The first blew out of the ground at about 15' tall.
Replanted and heavily staked it is now 30' with a trunk diameter of 11" at
3' above the ground.  We just removed the no longer necessary stakes which we
need elsewhere.  I've lost Acacia stenophylla, a favorite, several times,
once from freeze and three times from being blown out of the ground 
after several years.  Marcia Donahue's full grown specimen snapped at 
the base during the same wind storm.  This is not a problem of 
acacias in general in my garden where I grow successfully A. 
cultriformis, glaucoptera, pravissima, riceana, podalryiifolia and 
cognota subsp. subporosa but I have had to give up on stenophylla. 
Another favorite Medit plant I have given up on is Myoporum 
floribundum which commits suicide anywhere in my garden in the most 
diverse and creative ways.  Anyone know the trick with this lovely 
tree-like shrub?

I must put in a word here for a favorite group of plants for tall 
screening, the
evergreen southern beeches, Notofagus spp.  They are fast growing, 
good rooting,
beautiful and easy once you find the one you are looking for.

	Michael D. Barclay, MLD. D. Lett., Really Special Plants & Gardens
	Kensington (Berkeley Hills) California, USDA 9+/10 Sunset 16/17
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