Colin's Wisley

[iann]

D. acrotrichum is considered less hardy than others like D. wheeleri but still potentially hardy enough for most of England. In a greenhouse anyway, tricky in the ground but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the outdoors experts here could manage it.

[JazzFool]

Thanks Iann. I was thinking patio pot with protection over winter.

[Susanne]

Thank you for the pictures. I had to cancel - and am very sad.
Its nice though to see you all on the photos.

[Colin Walker]

Hi Paul,

I wouldn't want to risk Dasylirion outdoors here in middle England, but maybe Paul in Essex has experience of them outdoors in his neck of the woods?

[Paul in Essex]

Yup. I've had Dasylirion acrotriche outside - potted, initially, then planted out - for about 12 years. Never been marked by the weather with a low of around -7C as a small potted plant in '96, -5Cs since then as a planted specimen. It has grown from little more than a couple of small soft leaves into a thing of beauty with very nearly a full dome of many hundreds of leaves - probably 1.5m high. I've attached a pic taken just yesterday, as it happens. This one doesn't have particularly pronounced tufts on the leaf ends, others show this much more strongly.

It is said to one of the more tender dasylirion species in as much as it is one of the Mexican ones rather than the high desert USA ones like Dasylirion wheeleri that take phenomenal amounts of cold. Dasy. wheeleri will take -25C in habitat and certainly takes -10C in this country. I don't know of anyone who has tested this species to the max. But D. acrotriche will also take -10C and, I believe, proves far more moisture tolerant as do many of the Mexican species.


[attachment 7100 dasyacro260907.jpg]