I have Drimys laceolata - a great evergreen shrub for light shade. Nice contrast of the dark green leaves (reddish tint when new) held against dark red stems. It's quite hardy - listed to USDA zone 7 - and mine currently shows no ill-affect from our less than ideal winter weather this season. I'm looking forward to its lightly scented flowers soon.

Depending on what species we are talking about and the collection origin, hardiness could be anywhere from about -9C to -15C. I'd say to plant it if you have a mild garden, and don't plant it in a colder location. It will appreciate partial shade and moist soil.

I think there are quite a few species of Drimys/Tasmannia in Australia, including some from alpine habitats - I hope more can find their way into cultivation. I doubt D. winteri is the only one in Chile either.

"-9C to -15C"? Did you move out of the country?

We have a Drimys winterii planted at the farm where I work. Until this winter, we had seen no damage on it from occasional temperatures to near 0 F. This winter's post Thanksgiving storm we dipped to -8 F for a short time, and dipped below 0 F several times that week. The Drimys is not looking good, tho we are waiting to do the major cutback on damaged plants until mid to late March.

I have/had Drimys laceolata. Badly damaged by the late freeze after warming last year....not at all sure it is surviving this winter. Glad to hear there are Drimys out there....I will be looking. jwww

-8F would do it.

What? Are we still using Fahrenheit? Very well then...

I have weather data from 100+ recording stations and the coldest I can find for last November is +6F in Maple Falls. South of there the coldest is +9F in Arlington.

I wouldn't think it got much colder than that in populated areas.

Thanks for all the info. Think I will leave it in a pot for another year (greenhouse in winter) then put it somewhere sheltered. I have lost too many half-hardy plants the last few years- palm, banksia, cordyline, even erysimum croaked last winter. By the way, I thought we were having global warming - last night it was -5 C., or 25F, too darn cold!

More dramatic weather part of the process - not that there haven't been cold spells in Feb. before.

It's not the weather's fault, it's me! I become foolishly optimistic at this time of year, realism and rational thought completely gone at the first glimmer of spring! And I have been through quite a few springs. The drymis and a tree fern have been put out and brought in so many times they are getting comfused.

My D. lanceolata is thriving after four winters in the ground, including a late freeze last year and an early freeze last fall. However the coldest we have experienced would be -8 C, as it is quite mild here on the west coast of Van. Island. I would like to try D. winteri as well, but I have never found one for sale.

This is a slow growing plant, but is has been low maintenance and virtually pest free for me. It loosely resembles arbutus, but with more narrow lanceolate leaves. Supposedly if you plant a male and a female, the fruits can be used as a pepper-like spice. This is an alpine plant from Tasmania so I wouldn't be surprised if it proves hardier than predicted.

Here is a link that might be useful: Drimys lanceolata

No need to predict, has been grown down here - and then frozen out - for years. Higher altitude provenances may or may not be hardier than those from low altitudes when dealing with Southern hemisphere plants. It's the low humidity of Arctic fronts that gets them, even when adapted to low temperatures they can burn up during a cold and dry spell here.

They had a Drimys winteri going near the meeting room on the mound between the food garden and the perennial display some years ago at UBC Botanical Garden, so at least some material of that species has been on the scene in your general vicinity. Probably grown by others up there in years past, too, maybe an old garden on Vancouver Island somewhere has a huge one.

Any updates on Drimys Winteri cold hardiness? Esp in USDA zone 7b?