Araucaria bidwillii - Bunya-Bunya Pine

Great looking tree's ..

Mushybanna:

This tree is a beautiful and very large park tree. It's a big hazard when grown in the home landscape (even though I see them quite frequently). It has a gigantic, very heavy cone which can fall on a person and cause serious injury or death.

Wow 2 ton cones ..LOL that's gonna hurt ..:o)))

Mushybanna:

Yes, the female cones can weigh up to 40lbs. from what I've read.

Aruacaria heterophylla - Norfolk Island Pines have big cones also...the 85 feet/ 26 meters tall tree in my front yard had so many cones and seeds (the most I've ever seen) this past Winter...it was crazy, seeds all over the neighborhood.

This is a great pic, D1. it looks like an antique wrought iron gate! Something about the southern hemisphere pines that intrigues! You are still complaining about your Auricaria ... poor man. (just kidding!) I've just planted the Jacaranda seeds... waited for some nice hot weather. Also planted an eddoe and two alocasia and they sat still in the pot for ages...we are in the midst of a heatwave and they have finally come to life and are sprouting!

Lori:

Thanks! Yes, Bunya-bunya are terrific looking trees!

Yes, still complaining about the front yard Norfolk Island Pine (I love Norfolk Island Pines, just not in my yard.LOL!)...it's so messy, with its rope-like leaves and seeds everywhere.

Good luck with the Jacaranda and other seeds! : > )

We're having our first heatwave of Summer (it's very unusual to have our first heat wave this late). Many areas of Southern California are under "excessive heat warnings" today through the weekend. The monsoonal flow is really ramping up...with the heat and humidity.

Good Grief! our weather comes to us from the West..and we've been hoping for a drop in the humidity but with temps in the 90's F. it's almost an impossibility! If you are experiencing a heatwave so early...what's in store for us? Arghhh! We are just not equiped for this heat...at best one of our "hot" summers would mean three (maybe four) weeks of 80 degree temps with spikes into the 90's and hundred's ... as I've mentioned before we are planning to sell our house and we were told by a real estate agent that it would be a selling feature if we had central air... both my husband and I laughed at that... in all the years we've been here we figured it was no imposition to "weather" the hot spells and not place added demand on the power grid! Now as a pair of limp noodles we are fighting the impulse to rethink that "green" decision.. lol....
With "excessive heat" warnings I can see why you don't grow many of the perennials that others take for granted in their gardens... good luck D1...may the grid hold for you!

Lori:

Actually this heat wave is very late for the first heat wave of Spring/Summer.(we've already had winter heat waves). I've posted pics showing and explaining the monsoonal moisture flow.

It must be unbearable there also...with temps that high combined with humidity the night temps have no chance of cooling down. You must have a dozen fans going all at once, especially without A/C.

The power grid seems to put holding...as I haven't even seen a 1st stage alert for power yet. I know the deep south and eastern U.S. have had some major power-grid problems due to their protracted, extremely hot/humid weather.