Thanks Embothrium for the update.

they are fairly rare in both gardens and nurseries. generally slow growing, too. some of the cryptomeria cultivar's (like "araucarioides") might be functional equivalents for size and appearance.

The Plant Locator - Western Region (2004, Black-Eyed Susans/Timber, Portland) had listings from Forestfarm, Arbutus Garden Arts, Al's Garden Center, Heronswood, River Rock, Cistus and Wells-Medina for A. cupressoides and listings from Forestfarm, Cistus and Wells-Medina for A. laxifolia.

http://www.cistus.com/retail/retail_plants/retail_new.html

Hi zephyrgal; I got one from my neighbor as a gift (Athrotaxis laxifolia) to thank me for helping her to add some more conifers to her garden, it died on me after only having it for about 6 months. Even thou I gave it lots of love and attention; what I when someone gives me a plant, it died on me after only having it for 6 months --- was doing great up to one week before it up croaked on me. She got it from Swanson's Nursery in Ballard, WA; it was only a 4 inch size potted one, I thought it was rather expensive for $25.00 for a 4 inch too. Loved the unique and architectural branching of the Athrotaxis laxifolia (Tasmanian pencil pine); in search for another one to try again, because I think it got too much sun (all day -- morning to evening - south facing). Cheers,

despite what the 2004(!!!!) edition of "the plant locator" says the current on-line catalog of forestfarm does NOT list this species as currently available. sadly, even the best books can go out of date rather quickly.

Snapshots of when plants were on the market and who offered them have their own interest and value. In this case for instance we see that a fair number of vendors had picked up the one species.

It is also true that such listings actually do also tell us who might be inclined to stock them again - now or in the future.

George, do you have a source for Athrotaxis? Seeds?

zephyrgal; after our phone conversation of last night, called my old friend and colleague in Tasmania, New Zealand. Athrotaxis is on the endangered species list as I mentioned to you that he told me last spring. They are trying to cultivate to replant and revise it; so when he can get some seedlings, or established #1 size (1 gallons) he will try to get a couple to me and I will share one with you. Cheers,

Larrry Stanley has 18 Athrotaxis laxifolia on his availability list. $10 each for 4-inch rooted cuttings.

Thanks glaciers_end; do you have a way to contact him, I would like to pick up at least two for me to try again (another large species) that I will have to bonsai.

Cheers,

. . . he sells directly to ACS members via www.stanleyandsons.com

good luck.

Thank you glaciers_end. Will contact him; wasn't sure if he was of stanleyandsons, always appreciate your help. I hate loosing plants that are given to me -- to make grow. Cheers, p.s.: even more so now that you said I can get them from Larry for $10.00 each, when my neighbor paid $25 for it. (LOL)

As I mentioned previously I have continued to see these to at least some extent at independent retailers here - I am pretty sure as recently as last year. If I were looking for them I would make some phone calls to walk in brick and mortar stores in my local area before deciding I had to look elsewhere. And I would be sure to ask if there were plans to bring in any later, should I be told flatly that none were present now - without any additional information being offered.

as for seeds www.rarepalmseeds.com may have some. www.conifersgarden.com lists all three species for sale!!! also, saw an ebay listing for seeds (probably in the u.k.) but they may ship. and no doubt there are other possible sources as well that a web search can turn up. hope this helps.

Iseli Nursery carries Anthrotaxus cuppresoides. Most larger garden centers in the Puget Sound area order from Iseli routinely (certainly Swanson's does!) so it shouldn't be too hard to request them to bring in one for you.

Yep.

Iseli has a profile of the tree on their web site. Click on the underlined botanical name for a new window with photo.

http://www.iselinursery.com/index.php/conifers/athrotaxus

gardengal48 and Embothrium; if you scrolled up to read my comments on this thread, you would know that the original one I got from was from Swanson's Nursery, Ballard, WA. I took my neighbor friend to acquire conifers for her yard; she bought it for me as a thank you gift (only one -- 4" of Athrotaxus laxifolia), she bought and gave it to me. When I lost it in Sept. (6 months later); I went back to Swanson's (Mathew is their tree and shrub buyer ), long standing relationship with him. He said that he wasn't able to get it right away; but will try all sourcing, he also wondered who purchased it (because he was only able to get one only for last years season) --- because he normally sees what I acquire for almost 30 years from Swanson's. Thanks.

Cheers,

p.s.: I'll go with glaciers_end recommendation and go to StanleyandSons; plus for $10.00 for a 4" potted rooting, where it was $25 last spring from Swanson's --- I'll grab 2 of them for less than what my neighbor paid for one. I trust glaciers_end recommendation too for quality grower.

I do not think your experience is representative, serves to cancel out what has been reported here. Have you attempted to find one at any of the other local garden centers? I'm not making it up - I have seen these for years at outlets in this area, and not for $25 in a 4 in. pot either.

I may even have seen them at the McClendon's hardware store in Woodinville. I know I have seen similar items there, Phyllocladus for instance. (The Athrotaxis do not appeal to me so I do not pay particular attention when encountering them).

not to derail the conversation but IMHO phyllocladus is a very cool and very rare group of trees. after many years, my p. trichomanoides (purchased MANY moons ago from forestfarm---they do not list it now and have not listed it for years, BTW) is now about 7' tall and very unique and attractive looking.

George, thanks for the links for Athrotaxis. Regarding your Phyllocladus, can you post a pic?

I could try---when and IF I can get outside (it's currently raining very hard) to take a picture of my tree. hopefully by tomorrow???

Two vendors at the Seattle garden show had these (Athrotaxis) for sale today.

Embothrium, did you pick one up? How did they look and how much?

Nice and green, fresh looking, $15. Same size and price as other collector conifer species in small pots put on the market in recent years by Iseli, including Vietnam cypress and Wollemia.

To my eyes the Athrotaxis has a utilitarian appearance that is unappealing. Anyway it seems like an independent retailer down there somewhere would have some of this same distribution. You might have to call a number of them before you hit pay dirt. Another factor to consider is that often the person answering the phone doesn't know the entire inventory, especially in spring, when a lot of new stuff is being received.

I worked at multiple different independent garden centers during a previous phase of my career, only one of them had regular meetings where management employees would give those of us "on the floor" a heads up about what kinds of plants were expected to be appearing later. And sometimes even the buyers don't know exactly what is coming until the growers show up with the stock.

So you may have to drive around to different likely seeming places and look for yourself.

Cam Forest has Athrotaxus cupressoides

so they do. thanks very much for sharing this info. 35.00 is a fairly high price but if one doesn't live near seattle area plant sales, OTOH, it might be worthwhile for the insatiable "coniferaholic" looking for a rare plant fix!!!

Saw a couple more of the $15 ones while cruising outlets today (link below). And the two vendors at the Seattle garden show were retail nurseries, very unlikely to be selling only at shows (one of them is definitely a large walk-in place that is open throughout the year).

If the Iseli Athrotaxis are still on the independent garden center market here, other US metropolitan areas with suitable climates will have them also.

http://wellsmedinanursery.com/

sadly, for those of us who don't live near metropolitan centers (it's well over a 120 miles much of it on windy two-lane roads for me to anything approximating such a thing) we may have to rely on mail-order nurseries and the often higher costs (especially with shipping) for our fix of some rare plants.. more often than not many garden centers do not have on-line listings current or otherwise of their offerings so it becomes a matter of "hunting and pecking" by phone or email to various nurseries and almost certainly a long drive taking (in my case) up to 3 hours ONE way or more to actually get to whatever nursery I find that indeed may have whatever rare and precious (or weird) thing I happen to be looking for. sometimes under those circumstances potentially higher-priced mail-order plants don't seem quite as expensive, LOL.

that said, I've been lucky to have acquired so many plants already that if I had half a brain I wouldn't even look at another nursery again and instead limit myself to finding suitable spaces for the plants I have but HAVEN'T planted and of course looking after what's ALREADY in the ground, and while doing all that count my horticultural blessings instead of continually lusting after more!!!

Hi George; I agree with everything you are saying, good hear from you. I owe you an e-mail. Will check into some places for you and Zephyrgal if you like for some. Her and I have tentative booked to meet up. Been having issues with my service provider (Comcast/Xfinity aka Comcrash -- LOL). Mention to Zephyrgal that I needed to e-mail George just yesterday over the phone. Cheers, p.s.: your suggestions of mail order and pricing is dead on, also have to hope they send you a good quality specimen from root bound, quality of branching, etc. for the money for our fix. (LOL)

"MSD", thanks for posting and thanks for the kind offer to help find this plant. please email me when you can and your "service" provider will allow you, LOL. BTW, speaking of the cost of sending plants it's not just the commercial venders somehow being greedy, I just sent a less than 4lb. package of (bare-root) rare tree seedlings to a fellow plant nut in the far off and foreign land of Ohio and (because the SMALL box I put said plants in was somehow still was larger than "normal") it cost almost 40.00---ouch!!!!