JKOM, thanks for the complements on the garden! Adrienne, what appears to be a solid patio of stone is in fact a cantilevered wood structure support deck with waterproofing membrane and large sized travertine tile which spans the undisturbed slope around the pre-existing Maytenus boaria(Mayten Tree) that is all that remains from the "before" garden prior to my design. The tree canopy is in fact about the same size as the terrace below. This did require building a 2 foot tall reinforced concrete perimeter wall on the uphill side of the tree/edge of terrace to span and support the terrace and allow filling against at the uphill side to create a level lawn area. No tree roots were cut, the majority of existing slope around the tree was undisturbed, and the tree has roots all over the yard so that it doesn't need any direct rain/irrigation immediately adjacent the trunk. A raised deck is often a great solution for creating a level patio/terrace/deck around an existing tree, and making it solid is often a better solution for easy maintenance than a wood deck which traps debris between the deck boards and eventually rots out. I've often used this type of raised deck with solid tile for new gardens, even when they were flat and didn't technically need them, to raise up levels to better capture a view or create a special spot within a garden. Six years later the tree is perfectly happy and healthy still, and makes a superb anchor tree for this terrace, although Mayten trees are notorious for constant leaf litter drop. Mayten trees are a moderately slow growing evergreen from Chile that make great substitutes for a weeping willow sort of look, but are definitely only appropriate for zone 9/10 climates. As to no "triffids", sorry to disappoint; while this garden didn't originally start off with any palms, adjacent the terrace there is a rarely seen Trevesia palmata/Snowflake tree from Burma which definitely looks palm-like with branching. I've since added new smaller understory palms within the garden for the owners who purchased this spec-built home/garden 6 years ago now. I planted a Shaving Brush palm, Rhopalostylis bauriei cheesemanii and several clumping Bamboo palms, Chamaedorea micropadix and Chamaedorea tepelijote in an extra large pot at the terrace in the back yard, and also added two Windmill palms, Trachycarpus fortunei in the front garden. You should realize by now, that the "triffids" are everywhere here, there is no turning back :)! I can't say that I have ever encountered a new design client here in northern California who didn't appreciate the appeal of palms in a garden setting, especially when one avoids the problematic and too large growing types that are so much more prevalent here. This fall, I also added a recessed jacuzzi and leveled the previous sloped flagstone terrace at the upper garden for my clients, along with an outdoor shower off the tool shed/play house which is screened behind that wall with the Bougainvillea vine.

Back to the original question about hardiness of Passiflora manicata 'Linda Escobar'. I just ran across this, from the Monterey Bay Nursery site. This is very explicit, and I'm guessing they know what they are talking about. I'll just quote the entire description: "manicata 'Linda Escobar' arguably the showiest variety and nicest flower of any species of Passionflower. The intense orange red color, dark blue coronal filaments, excellent flower size and petal conformation, and nicely held flowers that face out and up on the outside of the foliage canopy make this one hard to beat if you have the climate to grow it. It is an improved version of the species, differing as far as I can tell only in that critical point that it is facultative or simple long day initiation whereas P.manicata itself seems to be long day or very long day initiation, restricting its flowering to three summer months. This selection can flower for 7-8 months. This is right up there with the finest Salvias and Grevilleas for attracting hummingbirds, with its easy-to-find and copious nectar supply and perfect color. It is a close partner to 'Coral Seas,' matching it in almost every way except tint, and that 'Coral Seas' may have a slight edge on it in the way of flower production. Expect the same unparalleled vigor and rampant growth (can cover a house or bring down a oak if not controlled) and essentially identical behavior in frosty conditions (severly damaged below 27F, and often killed to the ground or beyond at 25F). Sun, average soils, rather drought tolerant when established and much better controlled by restricted watering. Northern South America. rev 3/2008 " Here is a link that might be useful: Brought to you by the letter P at MBN

Another type of "snowflake" tree is Cussonia. They are South African trees and many (most/all?) are caudiciforms. Right now I have a Cussonia transvaalensis, which I got at Annie's Annuals for $5.50 (their prices are higher online). Here's the Cussonia transvaalensis in July (probably around when I got it): And now: (time to repot...) These plants often have a lot of reddish coloration. Probably this is in part seasonal, or maybe the fact that I don't have full sun is a factor. Maybe it will change soon. I checked some old photos of a plant I had a few years ago, and it looks lie the color changed in November or December. Here's that previous plant, I believe in December. It's dug up, so the caudex is also visible. The Dry Garden is a good source of Cussonias, but Annie's has an amazing variety (in theory 7 species), although their availability varies. The Annie's plants are probably smaller (all in 4 inch pots) and cheaper. The Dry Garden plants are also reasonably priced. They are South African trees, and I don't know if they do as well in Florida as they do in California. Here is a link that might be useful: Cussonias at Annie's Annuals

The problem with nearly all tropical seeds is that they have a short lifespan so buying them commercially is always going to be a bit of a lottery. Because they live life in the fast lane, there is rarely any dormancy naturally and fertility often plummets after a few months even when well stored. One thing I have found that helps is to germinate the seeds on blotting paper. Apart from high temps many seeds need very bright light to germinate and one of the few things that can induce dormancy is if they have been stored in a dark place - in a seed packet for example.