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Family: Rosaceae
Native to: Andes mountains of Bolivia, Peru, and northern Chile at very high altitudes.
Dimensions: small tree to 20' with equal spread
Cold resistance: around 10°F would be an educated guess
Drought resistance: can endure drought but prefers irrigation
Key Features: amazing flaking red bark, rugged habit, glossy leaves
Uses: highly ornamental small specimen tree, collector's item/conversation piece, good in cool coastal climates.
Description:
This is the super evergreen rare tree from the high Andes of South America that you didn't know you needed! The handsome foliage is nice, but really the most exciting feature is the amazing exfoliating red bark. You will not care that the flowers on this tree are barely noticeable, when it looks so interesting all the time. In fact it deserves a special place in the garden where all your little friends can gawk at it and be impressed. Provided some water, it is a reasonably quick grower and will eventually assume a rugged and irregular habit with age. Although I don't know the limits of its climate tolerance, it seems to handle Port Townsend, Seattle and Portland without difficulty so far. Like most Polylepis, it is adapted to cool weather and should perform well right on the coast. Many Polylepis species are endangered in the wild, having had much of their habitat destroyed, so there is a conservation benefit to ex situ cultivation.
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