They don't seem very hardy according to Dave's Garden. M. skinneriana is rated to 0 degrees F. Does anyone grow it? How fragrant is it?

I think these Piroche introductions are too new to know if they will survive a 30 year winter, unless they actually started importing some of them before 1990. Meanwhile, I wouldn't be expecting 0 degrees F. in the more heavily populated PNW lowlands (where most people live and garden) anytime soon.

It only went to 6 degrees F to kill my 10' Eucalyptus gunnii that was supposed to be hardy to 0 degrees F, because it dropped to 6* 3 days after the first frost. So conditions like those can be very hard on plants. Or very low temps after they have already started growing in spring.

I'm just wondering if the hardier Michelia is worth growing for fragrance.

Gums grown here vary in hardiness from one seedling to the next. Probably few, if any eucalyptus species can be assigned a single minimum temperature. The bamboo Chusquea culeou has been said to vary in hardiness from 0 to 20 degrees F.

The minimum temperature for a plant need only be reached for a short time for it to freeze off.

Haven't tried one yet that was dynamite, myself. Maybe only the tender ones have memorable fragrances. Fairly hardy M. figo seems to be a favorite, however. Also seems to vary, from what I have seen posted on this site.