A good combination

Over the last couple of weeks I've been looking out for the Chilean Firebush in local gardens. There are quite a few in and around Oban and today I found two more, one in the grounds of the Knipoch Hotel, and another in an adjoining cottage, where it was growing in front of a purple beech. I called at the cottage to ask about their Embothrium coccineum and at first the lady didn't know what I was talking about! When she realised, she told me that it had come from the one at the hotel, via her grandfather.

It seemed to be different from others, having slightly smaller and less intense flowers, so I asked for a few cuttings. They're spectacular trees and at the University of Valdivia In Chile some years ago I saw a pure yellow variety. The Edinburgh Botanics has four small plants from it and only today, meeting a friend who was responsible for acquiring them, asked if there was any way that I might get hold of one. There was not!