Has anyone up in the PNW area been able to grow aloysia virgata / Sweet Almond Bush? I appreciate the info..TIA.

Sherry

No Sherry no help here

Hi Sherry,
I've never grown it. May have to give it a try sometime.
It sounds like it will die back to the ground in zone 8.
Found this on Dave's Garden someone wrote---
On Sep 24, 2003, jermainiac from Seattle, WA (Zone 8a) wrote:
Proliferous bloom of white flowers on stalks. Strong vanilla-almond perfume. Loved by bees and ladybird beetles.
Cut back in winter. I have seen as a tree but then hard to enjoy the scent.
Read more:

cheers

Thanks, Julia and Duane. I really love this shrub, had it in SoCal and I want to try it here, but....

Supposedly would do okay in zone 9, and by USDA, that's what I am here, but my nursery friend says it won't grow here........now, just because she has not SEEN it done, does not necessarily mean that is so.....you know, I'm stubbornly just unwilling to accept that...LOL...

My Lemon Verbena aloysia is in a large pot and I will see if it leafs out and comes back or if Winter here was too hard on it.

I will go check out what jermainiac had to say about it.....

I pretty much ignore what people say about what will grow in my zone until I try it myself. I'm stubborn in that way .
I've found things that grow here when "people" said it doesn't. I think you'll be surprised what you can grow there, Sherry.

I'm already surprised by what I can grow here....so much that I had not expected to grow again....it's like I was living in a bubble before...LOL...

The main issue here is trying to find things withoiut mail ordering....no good nurseries here since my friend closed hers and it was 45 miles from here. I did find Lemon Verbena at Fred's last year, they had 4 and I knew 3 other people who were looking for it, so I cleaned them out....around here it's very appropriate to repeat the phrase..."the time to buy it is when you see it...."

Had to make a quick run to Eureka yesterday...85 miles from here and was kicking myself that I did not have time to stop at Miller's (the really good nursery in McKinleyville). I whined all the way home....they ALWAYS have something I want...and usually have a table full of Annie's stuff.

I'm out here looking for advice on pruning these and found your thread. I have 3 Sweet Almond bushes and I am in zone 8b. Freezing is not a problem for this bush as it seems hardy even when we had some temps down in the teens. Humidity or lack of would be something I can't speak about since I am in a very humid area and have no problem growing these.

Now, back to my search of pruning advice.

Thank You, Molly Mc........I can grow lemon verbena here so I'm sure I can grow The Sweet Almond Bush...the problem up here is finding them. I do now know a wonderful wholesale grower who makes regular trips to SoCal, so I'm going to see about him getting a couple for me. I gave away a large boxed one when we moved from Socal and I'm determined to have another.....and you have 3!!!!!
Thanks for your input......g'luck with pruning...