Flowering trees in SoCal

[Peter]

Here are a few flowering trees currently in bloom around Southern California:

Schizolobium:

Jacaranda mimosifolia:

[Peter]

And Jacaranda jasminoides, growing at Len's place:

[MattyB]

Ahhhhh, that's Jacaranda jasminoides is pretty. Anyone know how Jacaranda caucana turns out?

[Peter]

Like this Matty:

Here's a link to a site describing it:

http://ctfs.si.edu/webatlas/findinfo.php?l...amp;specid=3994

Edited May 28, 2009 by Peter

[MattyB]

Thanks Peter. So essentially it looks just like J. mimosafolia.

[Jeff Searle]

Peter,

Nice stuff. Our Jacaranda's never look that good here, probably due to more rain(?). I don't think it's considered much of a flowering tree, but I just planted a Mertya balansae in the yard.

Jeff

[LJG]

Most Jacs look the same from a distance. The Jacaranda caucana I gave you, no one here knows. Thanks to Ari in AU, I was able to germinate the seed and test. I know they make it through winters here as small seedlings. One difference between them is the leaflets are larger then on mimosafolia. Personally, I am not a fan of Mimosafolia. But keep that between us. Grow that plant I gave you. It could turn out to be sweet.

The Jacaranda jasminoides is killer because it has the largest leaflets of any Jac and it has the most dark purple flowers of any Jac. Well that I know of. I am sure 'Stone Jaguar" or some of our South American friends would know for sure.

  MattyB said:

Thanks Peter. So essentially it looks just like J. mimosafolia.

[ariscott]

The reason why I am growing J. caucana is because apparently it will flower for me here in the tropics. We don't have enough difference in the photo period (between dry and wet seasons) for J. mimosifolia to flower here like they do in Brisbane. I am a sucker for blue flowering trees...

Len,

I thought J. jasminoides is almost maroon in colour??? Or is it supposed to be dark purple? Quite pretty, regardless... I can't wait till mine get into flowering size.

Regards, Ari

[NakaB]

I picked up a jasminoides from Leon at XOTX yesterday. He told me it is not deciduous here in Socal. Also picked up a yellow Delonix regia which he claims is more cold tolerant than the normal version. Any thoughts?

[LJG]

Mike, that is where I got mine. That is one years growth you see from a 4 inch pot. Mine dropped leaves this spring, but I agree, it was not fully deciduous.

Ari, the books say "Deep Purple". Ken pointed out that this jasminoides is different then the ones in FL. In FL they graft them. So it is a small patio tree. These are from seed and will turn into a bigger tree then grafted.

  NakaB said:

I picked up a jasminoides from Leon at XOTX yesterday. He told me it is not deciduous here in Socal. Also picked up a yellow Delonix regia which he claims is more cold tolerant than the normal version. Any thoughts?

[Eric in Orlando]

Wow the Schizolobium looks great, almost like a giant Peltophorum.

We have one of the grafted Jacaranda jasminoides. It is a small tree, only about 6ft tall. It also seems reasonably frost hardy. It is growing in an open area that is probably the coldest and most frost prone location here. This winter we had a night at 30f but it was accompanied by heavy heavy frost in open spots. J. jasminoides wasn't bothered but nearby plants such as Hamelia cuprea, Tibouchina heteromala, Tibouchina granulosa, and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis were severely burnt.

[Eric in Orlando]

  Jeff Searle said:

Peter,

Nice stuff. Our Jacaranda's never look that good here, probably due to more rain(?). I don't think it's considered much of a flowering tree, but I just planted a Mertya balansae in the yard.

Jeff

Jacaranda mimosifolia doesn't always bloom dependably up here, either. Especially if they are growing in a well irrigated landscape. They like that spring dryness to flower best, like Delonix regia.

The Jacaranda that should be grown more instead is J. cuspidata. It comes from a wetter part of Brazil and blooms later in summer. Ours is just starting to flower. I think it is also more tolerant of alkaline soils. Ours was a young 20ft specimen when it blew over in Hurricane Charley in '04. It was too tall to stand back up so was cut off. In 2 years it grew back up to 25ft. It is now starting to form a canopy.

[cagary]

  NakaB said:

I picked up a jasminoides from Leon at XOTX yesterday. He told me it is not deciduous here in Socal. Also picked up a yellow Delonix regia which he claims is more cold tolerant than the normal version. Any thoughts?

My grafted yellow Delonix regia seems to make it through the winter better than my seed grown red. It still in a pot right now, but will be going in the ground in a few weeks. I got from a source in Puerto Rico.

[LJG]

Whats it grafted too?

  cagary said:

  NakaB said:

I picked up a jasminoides from Leon at XOTX yesterday. He told me it is not deciduous here in Socal. Also picked up a yellow Delonix regia which he claims is more cold tolerant than the normal version. Any thoughts?

My grafted yellow Delonix regia seems to make it through the winter better than my seed grown red. It still in a pot right now, but will be going in the ground in a few weeks. I got from a source in Puerto Rico.

[ariscott]

My supposedly yellow delonix that I got from Cairns is much slower than the red ones I grow from seeds....

Regards, Ari

[Peter]

A few more from today:

Another Jac. mimosifolia:

Jacaranda cuspidifolia-a little nicer flower and tree shape imho:

Flower:

And a Spathodea at Leon's nursery:

[cagary]

Its a branch from a yellow D. regia that was grafted on to a red D. regia seedling.

From what I understand, seeds from a yellow D. regia seldom produce trees that have yellow flowers. They almost always produce the more common red flowers. Grafting a branch from a tree that has produced yellow flowers on to a D. regia seedling is one sure way to create another yellow D, regia.

  LJG said:

Whats it grafted too?

  cagary said:

  NakaB said:

I picked up a jasminoides from Leon at XOTX yesterday. He told me it is not deciduous here in Socal. Also picked up a yellow Delonix regia which he claims is more cold tolerant than the normal version. Any thoughts?

My grafted yellow Delonix regia seems to make it through the winter better than my seed grown red. It still in a pot right now, but will be going in the ground in a few weeks. I got from a source in Puerto Rico.

[fastfeat]

Great pics Peter.

Schizolobium is an under-utilized tree in SoCal, IMHO. Probably better in SoCal (in zones where it can survive the cold) than FL; I think that drier conditions will allow it to develop stronger branch structure that will result in less-frequent branch drop (a common problem, apparently, in its native range). Also, hurricanes aren't an issue.

Jacaranda cuspidifolia is THE jac that deserves to be planted regularly in SoCal--smaller stature, darker blue flowers. Seed is certainly available; progressive nurseries should step up to the plate.

Good to see that J. jasminoides will bloom under cooler (compared to FL) CA conditions as well. Hope it makes it through a few CA winters too. The dark blue species (Len's) is much more attractive IMHO than the maroon (grafted) form. It really is a tree, whereas the grafted one (on J. mimosifolia, J. cupidifolia rootstocks) are really shrubs. Grafting maroon onto seedling J. jasminoides may result in larger-growing maroon plants (less graft "incompatibility") (?). Worth trying.

Grafting yellow/gold forms of Delonix regia is the only assured way of creating yellow/gold trees, but grafting Delonix is (supposedly) a very difficult (low-percentage success) under-taking. Seeds from isolated yellow/gold trees often do produce good progeny. Haven't heard anything about added cold-hardiness of yellow/gold forms before though.

[Fouquieria]

Here's a first time blooming for me Peter. This is a pic of a little 18-inch grafted Tabebuia 'Carib Queen'. I planted it out in January and it's done fine. Anyone know what it's a hybrid of? T. pallida perhaps and something else? Anyway, looks like it is going to be a winner.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I think Carib Queen is a cross between heterophylla and haemantha. I also believe pallida is invalid and is properly heterophylla.

[LJG]

Hi Ron,

I got one from Gardinos last Fall. Just planted it out this spring. I did not know this, but makes sense, Ken was saying it is grafted on a more tropical Tab. I think it was T. lepidota? So it might make it tougher long term in the cold, damp winter soil then had it been grafted on T. impetiginosa for example. If mine dies this winter, I will ask them to try and graft to T. impetiginosa for me.

While not a heavy bloomer like other Tabs, it does seem to be a continuous bloomer. With each new growth spurt, come a few new flowers too.

[ariscott]

I wish it would be easier to find Tabebuia here, except for the common T. rosea, T. palmeri & T. aurea. I love them... and they grow SO FAST!!!

Regards, Ari

[Peter]

Nice flower Ron. And the little hybrids I got from you last month have really taken off.

[fastfeat]

Jerry is correct: T. 'Carib Queen' is T. heterophylla X T. haemantha. Not really sure how this will do long-term in SoCal (cold winter soils), coming from the Caribbean. There was one at Fullerton Arboretum that lasted for a year or two before kicking over; it was planted in "the Flats," an area not known for its cold air drainage...

With Tabebuia being broken into Tabebuia, Handroanthus, etc, I wonder how "deep" the differences are? Will Tabebuia (such as 'Carib Queen', T. heterophylla, etc) graft successfully onto Handroanthus, such as H. impetiginosus? One of these days, when make it back to FL, I'll have to do some experimenting...

[Morabeza]

I love this thread!

Thank you Peter Len and Eric for those wonderful photographs. I was delighted to see that West Hollywood, CA Schizolobium it in full bloom! It's been years since I've seen it, and I used to admire it every time I drove past it.

At the sea level on O'ahu, and even at 300m elevation in Wahiawā, Jacaranda mimosifolia is not a stunning bloomer as it is in southern California.

I have been looking for non-grafted Jacaranda caucana, J. cuspidata, J. cuspidifolia, and J. jasminoides for many years. I have a grafted J. jasiminoides that is nice, yet nothing like Len's stunning seed-grown specimen.

I do hope seed of these species makes their way to more hobby growers in the future. (If anyone has true seed of any of the Jacaranda species other than J. mimosifolia, PMs are welcome )

Aloha

[LJG]

Jacob, too bad I can't get plants to HI via mail. I have some 1 gallon Caucana's needing to be potted up or planted that would ship easy. If the J. jasiminoides seeds, I will send you some.

  Morabeza79 said:

I love this thread!

Thank you Peter Len and Eric for those wonderful photographs. I was delighted to see that West Hollywood, CA Schizolobium it in full bloom! It's been years since I've seen it, and I used to admire it every time I drove past it.

At the sea level on O'ahu, and even at 300m elevation in Wahiawā, Jacaranda mimosifolia is not a stunning bloomer as it is in southern California.

I have been looking for non-grafted Jacaranda caucana, J. cuspidata, J. cuspidifolia, and J. jasminoides for many years. I have a grafted J. jasiminoides that is nice, yet nothing like Len's stunning seed-grown specimen.

I do hope seed of these species makes their way to more hobby growers in the future. (If anyone has true seed of any of the Jacaranda species other than J. mimosifolia, PMs are welcome )

Aloha

[ariscott]

I got a few J. caucana (plants) here too... and J. jasminoides.... Pity, this thread didn't come any sooner. Otherwise I could've sent some seeds...

Regards, Ari

[Peter]

There are several flowering J. jasminoides around, plus lots of others planted that should flower in a year or two, so hopefully there will be more seed available in the near future.

Here's another flowering jasminoides in West Hollywood, planted last year from a 4" pot, in one of Leon's landscapes:

[freakypalmguy]

I agree, this is an excellent thread. I have only one, a weeping cherry tree. It was one that my wife really liked so I figured I had better buy it I didn't get any pics of it in bloom though

[ariscott]

Peter,

My Jacaranda is growing tall like that too... probably much taller. Do they branch on their own, or should I pinch the tops?? It is almost higher than my house now.... Scott just let it go as he wants the tree to branch a bit higher....

Regards, Ari

[Peter]

Which Jac. is it Ari-jasminoides?

[ariscott]

No... J. caerulea. My one and only. My J. jasminoides are still seedlings stage. Although, they are growing fast...

Regards, Ari