Hi gang

Thanks for the many responses to my question on the Chilean fire tree
(bush), I got so many I'm going to reply to the whole list. The specimen at
the locks doesn't sound much like the descriptions I've read on the
Internet except for the flowers. It's really an unassuming looking shrub,
evergreen with spear-shaped leaves, about five feet tall and five feet wide
and two feet deep (The plant, not the leaves). It's in the Ballard entrance
area, to the left against the big wrought iron fence between the gate to
the employees parking lot and the workshop building. I talked to another
gardener today and he says it doesn't bloom all year, it blooms in winter
because it thinks its in Chile and it's summer. That might explain its
rather lackluster show of blossoms, but it has enough blossoms to attract
hummingbirds in January. I wonder if Mr. English (These are the Carl S.
English Gardens) went to Chile and brought it back, would that explain it's
winter blooms? Mr. English did a lot of that, or maybe it's the coriolis
force at work.

The plant was available for sale in 2000 from the Arboretum, they may still
have it, I'll have to go over and check them out.

Many thanks again.

Cliff Drake
Seattle WA
cliff at cliffdrake.net