Dirr claims 6b for these.

Here is a link that might be useful: Distylium selections

Yeah, but Blue Cascade is not hardy in 6b. Maybe 4 out of 5 years? But then, is that considered hardy?

I've not had experience with the others (Vintage Jade, Emerald Heights).

I'm in 7a and I saw dieback of Blue Cascade last winter. They start to suffer below 0 degrees F or with extended cold and wind.

I don't think they've been adequately trialed to claim 6B. Just sayin'.

There's a lot of pressure to get new plants on the market.

Yes, as I said he "claims" 6b hardiness for the set of cultivars.

This post was edited by bboy on Sat, Nov 29, 14 at 13:55

"There's a lot of pressure to get new plants on the market. "

This. And as you imply to make them marketable. It's like Encore Azaleas, some of which were clearly not hardy as claimed.

The Encore cultivars offered here look like the tender halves of the crosses, with large leaves etc.

I'm a bit more interested in the Bloom-a-thon azaleas right now. I like their form and foliage better than Encores.

I'm testing one in my front yard. We'll see.

My Encores bloomed great this fall and did not seem to suffer from last winter.

"There's a lot of pressure to get new plants on the market. "

Many of the new plants that get on the market have either serious flaws (prone to pests and diseases, hardiness not reliably tested, dwarf forms not staying dwarf, variegated forms not stable etc.) or are not sufficiently different from the 'old' cultivars. Over here in the Netherlands we have the yearly Plantarium trade show where a lot of new introductions are shown. I guess that more than 95% of the new introductions disappear into oblivion.

This is where organized trials or evaluations conducted by third parties such as the RHS in Britain and the Chicago Botanic Garden in the US come in.

Yes, good point about third party evaluations.

I don't think I've ever seen so many marginal trees and shrubs offered at local nurseries as I have this summer.

I feel sorry for those who don't research the plants first. They will likely lose them, because they don't know how to get them through the first harsh winter.

But, I for one, am happy to see some variety. I just wish the nurseries would be open to suggestions of other great (and HARDY) plant selections that never get offered. Of course it's the big plant propagation companies who are probably more to blame.

For example, Aucuba 'Sulphurea Marginata' is a very interesting aucuba. But it's only offered by some mail-order nurseries. It's likely too slow to propagate or grow up to sale size so they don't mess with it.

Yes, often, if it doesn't fill a pot well, it doesn't sell!

I personally would love to see a variety of native trees and shrubs.

Note that certain plants have always gone in and out of fashion. Remember five fruit hedges? We now see a resurgence of berry bearing bushes.

Then it's on to yellow or blue or purple foliage, or whatever the next "thing" is.

Yes, often, if it doesn't fill a pot well, it doesn't sell!

I personally would love to see a variety of native trees and shrubs.

Note that certain plants have always gone in and out of fashion. Remember five fruit hedges? We now see a resurgence of berry bearing bushes.

Then it's on to yellow or blue or purple foliage, or whatever the next "thing" is.

'Sulphurea Marginata' tends to go green in shade. Probably many think it looks diseased. All nursery crops are subject to variations in response from consumers, including fashions - there are actually period plants that go with period houses. Anything that doesn't move for a retailer doesn't get reordered. Nowadays woody ornamental plants in general have become a bit of a hard sell in my area - I wonder how one particular long-established, family owned independent nursery here - that doesn't do clearance sales, discount coupons etc. - is managing to order in and turn over a full compliment of trees and shrubs on a yearly basis.

Here's a photo of Sulphurea Marginata (aka Limbata) from Randy Stewart's Blog, growing in shade, BUT this is with new growth emerging in Spring.

Is this not a show-stopper -- even if for a few weeks?

A tad more sun would probably help retain the cream/yellow on leaf margins. Lot's of plants have idiosyncrasies. Sure beats a deciduous shrub in my opinion.

Here is a link that might be useful: Randy Stewart Landscaping blog

I need to know if it is toxic?

Many would say that example (of the aucuba) looks like it needs to be fertilized - the bulk of the contemporary plant market by far is not made up of enthusiasts and experts but rather people looking for specimens to dress up the surroundings of new builds. Whether these be bungalows or office buildings. With that finishing of the property with landscaping phase being by far the principal extent of their interest and involvement in planting. So that friends with landscaping and landscape architecture (including residential) occupations are reporting in later years a very consistently recurring mantra from clients that plants chosen for their sites must be "low maintenance" = "we really aren't interested in looking after plants at all".

I see my previous link is no good anymore. Here is one that works at this time:

Product Index - Bailey Portal (baileynurseries.com)

Notice the emphasis in most of the individual Distylium variety descriptions at the current link on general landscape use:

alternative to boxwood and other evergreen plants beleaguered by insects and diseases in the south

replacement for cherry laurel for screening and hedges

adaptable plant that can be used in multiple landscape applications

suited for large scale landscapes as well as homeowner use

In my short experience with Distylium I have found the branches to be pretty brittle. For example when gently clearing heavy snow off of them the entire branch snaps off. Which is not good for a slow grower.

I’m in NC south mountains at 2800 ft elevation, sheltered in woods on south slope.

I was very, very disappointed in this plant in Zone 7, NJ, at 10 feet elevation.

Distylium myricoides (Piroche Form) is supposed one of the hardiest and it weathered the Polar Vortex winters here in NE MD with minimal damage. Granted the site did have a bit of protection from the deadly winter morning sun, destroyer of borderline BLEs.

It's demurely attractive in a low-key way. Having one in the garden seems to satisfy my collector's itch, so to speak. It would take a truly remarkable Distylium to make me want to have a 2nd one!

OT but only barely - is Piroche Plants trying to stage a comeback? I thought they were totally gone forever. Granted it's not reassuring they are linking their main site to a wix site: http://www.pirocheplants.com/

But they had amazing variety of stuff like Bretschneidera and Larix mastersiana.