Erblichia odorata

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I was encouraged to purchase this tiny little plant at a Flowering Tree Society sale in May.  It is now much bigger and I am getting ready to plant out some trees and want info on this.  All I see is that it is a fast growing, full sun, small tree from Central Am.  Yellow or orange flowers that are fragrant and attract flutterbys.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of this one?

Jerry

[fastfeat]

Jerry--

So you're one of those who ponied up the $125 for one...

How much has it grown? Has it bloomed yet?

I saw the little info about it online. Flowers look impressive.

Keep us posted on how it does.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Ken,

I would never pay $125 for this 3 gallon tree, only a couple feet tall.  It was $115, much more reasonable.

I had no idea how fast it was.  I should have stepped it up into a 7 gallon as it is now about 6' planted out height.  No flowers yet but yes, the few online pics look good.  i wonder if I can get cuttings to root?

Jerry

[fastfeat]

(Jerry@TreeZoo @ Nov. 01 2007,08:55)

QUOTE

Ken,

I would never pay $125 for this 3 gallon tree, only a couple feet tall.  It was $115, much more reasonable.

I had no idea how fast it was.  I should have stepped it up into a 7 gallon as it is now about 6' planted out height.  No flowers yet but yes, the few online pics look good.  i wonder if I can get cuttings to root?

Jerry

You must have gotten that municipal discount...And to think I let Dolores keep my cigarette lighter...

I can't recall how Dolores propagated them, whether by seeds or cuttings. I figured it must be tough, given the price of the 3's...Might as well try rooting cuttings, drop the cost down to $100...

[popper1]

Jerry-

I got one of these over the holidays.  How is yours doing?  How big was it when you got it?   Any idea on how large it needs to be before blooming?

Have you been able to find any info on it since your post?  I have not been able to find anything.  

Thanks for any info-

David

[LJG]

Good luck David. I spent a lot of time online looking for info. I called a few people that have it too. I bet you got yours from TT? That is where I got mine. Not cheap for this little sucker.

[popper1]

I have gotten some of my rarer stuff from them and don't really have any complaints.  Everything has been in good condition, and they have things that you can't find anywhere else.   I take it yours is doing well?

[LJG]

I am hit of miss with them. My last shipment of Cassias was nothing to boast about. But if I am miss, they take care of the replacement in most cases. I will let you know how the Erblichia odorata is doing by spring. This plant has not been tested here in SoCal by any that I am aware.

[popper1]

I'll be interested to hear how it does in So Cal.   I talked to Mike at TT &  he is not real sure on it's hardiness.  I guess they are relatively new to most people.

[ariscott]

Any photo?? I am a sucker for trees...

Regards, Ari

[popper1]

Ari-

Here is a link to a couple pictures of the tree on TopTropicals website

Erblichia odorata

There are not many pictures that I have been able to find.

[ariscott]

David,

Thanks for the link. I couldnot find anything either when I goggled it. I was hoping to find the shape of the tree too... The flowers are nice though.

Regards, Ari

[LJG]

So any word from you guys one this? Mine grew like a weed. it had to be cut back and it is 15 gallon. But now that temps hit 47 where I had it, it is all yellow and dropping leaves.

Not sure how hardy it will be in SoCal.

[popper1]

It looks like it does better in Florida than in CA. Mine is smaller than yours, in a 5 g pot. Grew well over the summer. We had a lousy Oct & Nov in Florida, several nights went into the upper 30s. I did not give the plant any protection and it has had no yellowing or leaf drop; no damaged at all. I guess since we tend to have more of a rebound into higher temps after cold nights than you guys over there the plant can deal with the cold better. I would love to put ot in the ground but we are unsure of how long we will be in this location so am holding off.

[LJG]

I am thinking part may be due to the fact it went from outside and into the greenhouse. I have had tropicals drop leaves because of this before.

It looks like it does better in Florida than in CA. Mine is smaller than yours, in a 5 g pot. Grew well over the summer. We had a lousy Oct & Nov in Florida, several nights went into the upper 30s. I did not give the plant any protection and it has had no yellowing or leaf drop; no damaged at all. I guess since we tend to have more of a rebound into higher temps after cold nights than you guys over there the plant can deal with the cold better. I would love to put ot in the ground but we are unsure of how long we will be in this location so am holding off.

[XYZ]

Greetings.

This tree has a wide distribution throughout tropical areas of southeastern México and Central America and has been utilized on a limited scale as a timber species in some areas. It is a tad too open and lanky for my particular taste, but the large flowers are quite spectacular, exhibiting a steely blue flush that is not evident in most online images of them.

Here are some images of wildings on posted on the Underground Jungle several years back:

Often localized, it can be rather common in some area but is not comspicuous when not in flower. The second-to-last image is one flowering by the roadside in northern Guatemala.

I would imagine that a given individual's cold tolerance would be directly related to whether it originated from a warm tropical or a cooler cloud forest population.

Had some layers strike a while back...wonder whether branches will root under intermittent mist and what their root systems would look like.

J

[mppalms]

Hi, Jay.

Great pictures of this tree. What is the elevation range of this species? It seems like it mostly inhabits the lowlands, but you mention that some are found in cloud forests. Thanks for the info.

Jason

[XYZ]

Jason:

While most evident in tropical lowland forest around 300-500 m (975-1,625'), I have found them in three countries at elevations over 1,000 m (3,250'). There are also herbarium collection from throughout its range at least as high as 1,250 m into perfectly good textbook-type cloud forest. Not sure that I would naturally characterize them as being a "full sun" tree; more riparian and uderstory than a canopy tree in any real sense. They do persist as tropical pasture relicts quite well, so they can obviously adapt to blaze-o-rama type sunshine when push comes to shove.

J

[LJG]

Jay, thanks for the photos. I bet those are some of the only ones found online! I see it looks semi-deciduous. Similar to a Tab. for example. Is this correct?

[XYZ]

Len:

No, it's evergreen as far as I am aware. Fam. is Turneraceae and its flowers are substantially larger than any Bignoniaceae that I am familiar with.

J

[LJG]

In that last pic it looked mostly bare like it was dropping leaves while flowering. If not then I guess mine is telling me it is not a SoCal plant.

[popper1]

Great photos Jay, as Len said those are probably the best pics on the net.

I agree with you, the tree does have an open look to it, but those flowers look great. Len-mine has not lost any leaves but I have not moved it since it has gotten cool; perhaps yours is just upset with the move and will recover.

[LJG]

I am hoping. The flowers are killer. I will plant it out this spring and see how she does. Now that Jay pointed out it is more riparian and understory, I will change my planting location.

[Morabeza]

I'm so glad Jay contributed so much information and photos to this thread. This looks and sounds like such an attractive tree. The leaves on mine are sure nice.

I was given a seedling last year and knew that I could not keep it due to space restrictions. It grew very fast for me, although I found it to break easily in gusty Mānoa Valley. Two weeks ago I donated the my tree to Waimea Valley (O'ahu), the famous botanical collection located there (recently under new management) that has been known formerly as the Waimea Valley Audubon Center and the Waimea Arboretum and Botanical Garden, among other names.

It was planted in the parking lot area this week, and I am looking forward to see how it will mature. I am slightly uneasy about this species, in regards to whether or not it may have the potential to be invasive. I donated it on condition that if it began to show signs of reseeding easily, to destroy it and any of its progeny without mercy! I REALLY don't want to be a vehicle for introducing a pest here in Hawai'i! Jay, do you know if this species has a reputation of growing in disturbed habitat as sort of a pioneer forest tree? It has been difficult for me to find very much information on the biology of this species.

My concern is based on another member of the Turneraceae, Turnera ulmifolia, that has proven to be highly invasive in dry, disturbed places throughout many pacific islands including Hawai'i. (http://www.hear.org/pier/species/turnera_ulmifolia.htm).

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I got a call from Dolores Fugina today and she is reporting that two of her trees are blooming. Dolores' nursery is in Homestead and is called Bloomin' Good Nursery. She is the source of this plant in Florida.

She wanted to post something but is not a member of this board so she asked me to help her out. Here is her email:

Hi Jerry,

Attached are the pictures of the Erblichia.

Mine has been in the ground less than 2 years and this is the first year it has bloomed. We were hoping it would bloom this year and when it did you can imagine how excited we were. I also saw a flower bloom on one of the 7 gallon plants in the nursery this morning. It just came out so more flowers on other trees may follow.

And, yes, the flowers are 7" across!

People were wondering why it was so expensive. Well, we had to go to Belize, hire a young chap to go to Guatamala (and he had to go a couple of times to see if the seeds were ready) and collect the seeds and then he had to mail them up to us. Believe me, this was not cheap or easy to do.

See you and the Amherstia on the 18th.

Cheers,

Dolores

Edited April 9, 2009 by Jerry@TreeZoo

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Another pic.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

another

[LJG]

I saw this on another forum. Amazing flower. I killed mine moving it from outside in late fall to the greenhouse. No idea why, but it killed over. I am not sure this is a possible plant outside in SoCal. Not sure I want to pay the price to try again either.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

The Erblichia in the Deerfield Beach Arboretum has finally bloomed. In the ground over 5 years now, it is about time. I was unsure about its hardiness so I planted it in a protected alcove on the south side of the main building. Big enough to walk under, it is about 18' tall now. The few blooms are at the tippy top and I can't really get a good photo of them, but they are there. The south side is blocked from the sun by a large Cassia so I am assuming it requires full sun for best blooming.

Pics to follow when I get them.

BTW, not too hard to get it to root from cuttings.

[popper1]

How have you rooted cuttings? I have not had much luck.

David

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Take green stick cuttings in the summer, 4"-6" long. Keep in bright shade. Water daily in potting soil or peat & perlite. No need for a mist bed.

[Josh-O]

Bump,

any updated info on this tree growing here in California or similar like climates? 

[LJG]

I tried once more after I posted in this thread 7 years ago. It died by Januaray. This is a super tropical tree. 

[Josh-O]

19 hours ago, LJG said:

I tried once more after I posted in this thread 7 years ago. It died by Januaray. This is a super tropical tree. 

Thanks for confirming Len. I knew it was to good to be true for us in Cali

[Cindy Adair]

I grow this one in PR originally trading a number of Cola nut trees for one!

 It is "lanky" but the blooms are lovely and I have grown a few from seed off my tree. 

So I have a second one planted now from my own seed, that I plan to keep pruned shorter. Perhaps it will be bushier and the flowers not so far from the ground.

The cattle who got on my farm chose this little seedling as one of the few non palms worthy of tasting. Likely they had never seen such a plant in PR! Happily it was not their favorite and they just started the pruning process.

 

 

 

[Kim]

Can anyone comment on the potential for this tree to be invasive in a place like East Hawaii where it is wet all year?

[Cindy Adair]

Kim, 

Mine is in wet western PR where I water nothing once planted.

The tree has been blooming several years and I have found no volunteers so far. 

Of course I know nothing about how it could spread in Hawaii.

[Kim]

Thanks for the information, Cindy! Seems if you see no volunteers in your conditions, it might be all right.

[Fouquieria]

I don't garden so much anymore.  My hillside is looking like crap.  At 70 my strength and endurance is meh.  Plus I'm taking care of an 84 year old who has early dementia.

Anyway, I planted this around the same time that others did in 2007.  I've got it planted between the house and the hillside where I have regular irrigation.  First couple of years it grew extremely slowly and lost all its leaves.  Now, at about nine years of age, it is evergreen.  It is growing in a very densely competetive protected area under larger trees.  Right next to my Stemmadenia.  The groundcover it is planted in is old, thick, dense variegated ivy.  The larger trees around it are melaleuca and metrosideros.  A couple of old cycas revs are butted up against it.  It's rangy and about seven feet tall by about eight feed wide and has to my knowledge not bloomed yet.  Otherwise it looks healthy and other than summer irrigation I don't do anything to it.

-Ron-

[Cindy Adair]

I hope it will be covered in orange blooms for you soon! I also have a Stemmadenia not too far from my Ehrblichia. No melaleuca or metrosideros though!

Your post reminded me that although it is pretty, I do not miss the aggressive ivy that grew in Virginia. Plenty of tropical weeds here of course!