Looking for Tropical Tree Recommendations

[epicure3]

I am taking out a Michelia Alba in my front yard and was wondering what I should replace it with. Any ideas? It would be in full sun. The wife already said no palms. Ficus are out since I don't want to deal with invasive roots. Let me know what you think...

[rozpalm]

What is the look you are going for? How big of a space do you have? Do you care if its deciduous?

[Zeeth]

How about a citrus? I know they don't look too tropical, but they love full sun and will reward you with delicious fruit. I think a clementine tree would do well in a med. climate, and they are sweet and super easy to peel.

Edited July 28, 2009 by Zeeth

[mppalms]

Radermachera ignea! See the other thread in this category.

I got mine from a nursery in Florida, and it's doing great. I'm in a spot that's a heck of a lot cooler than where you are.

Jason

[epicure3]

What is the look you are going for? How big of a space do you have? Do you care if its deciduous?

One of the reasons I am getting rid of the Michelia is that it drops tone of leaves so a deciduous tree is probably not what I'm going to go for. Though, I am thinking of possibly a Tabebuia. Spece? Tall, but not too wide. For that reason, I was also thinking about a Markhamia Lutea.

[epicure3]

How about a citrus? I know they don't look too tropical, but they love full sun and will reward you with delicious fruit. I think a clementine tree would do well in a med. climate, and they are sweet and super easy to peel.

That would work if I didn't have a tom of citrus already. I have a key lime, 2 tahitian limes and a lemon tree already.

[epicure3]

Radermachera ignea! See the other thread in this category.

I got mine from a nursery in Florida, and it's doing great. I'm in a spot that's a heck of a lot cooler than where you are.

Jason

I have a pretty healthy sized Radermachera Sinica and a R. Hainanensis. Both awesome trees but I don't think I need a third in the species.

[mppalms]

Ah, didn't realize that! Any clue where I could find the R. hainanensis?

Jason

I have a pretty healthy sized Radermachera Sinica and a R. Hainanensis. Both awesome trees but I don't think I need a third in the species.

[PalmsZA]

Hey all

I am always going to pimp our local forest fever tree. Anthocleister grandiflora

Easy to grow and fast. Grows upright and makes an awesome canopy. Evergreen.

[Urban Rainforest]

In my opinion Khaya Nyasica (red african Mahogany) is one of the nicest evergreen trees you can grow here! It gets new blood red flushes of new growth twice a year . Everyone should have one . You can see big ones at the SD zoo.

Stevo

[Peter]

How big a tree do you want John?

[epicure3]

Ah, didn't realize that! Any clue where I could find the R. hainanensis?

Jason

I have a pretty healthy sized Radermachera Sinica and a R. Hainanensis. Both awesome trees but I don't think I need a third in the species.

I don't remember where I got it. I am pretty sure that it was online. The leaves are bigger than the R. Sinica but grows more slowly for me with the same kind of look.

[epicure3]

How big a tree do you want John?

I want it to be no more than 20' tall by about 10-15' wide. It can get bigger but has to be able to be pruned to keep it within this size.

[epicure3]

In my opinion Khaya Nyasica (red african Mahogany) is one of the nicest evergreen trees you can grow here! It gets new blood red flushes of new growth twice a year . Everyone should have one . You can see big ones at the SD zoo.

Stevo

That would be a great tree! But I have no idea where to get one here. If anyone had a lead....

[mppalms]

I think someone else who posts here (Len?) tried Erblichia odorata. I'm also foolishly trying it (so far so good, says the man falling from the building). In your area, it might have a good chance. My guess is that it will grow reasonably slowly, and while it can be a larger (than 20') tree in habitat, it won't get that large in CA.

You might also want to try one of the Hawaiian hibiscus trees, which probably top out at 15', or one of the smaller Tabebuias.

Are you looking to emphasize flowers or foliage?

Jason

[Justin]

For where you live, and based on my own observations here, I would suggest one of the following:

Hymenosporum flavum (same or better smell than Michelia, some would argue)

Castanospermum australe (hardly ever drops leaves, won't have to prune much if at all)

Tecoma stans (blooms most of the year, can easily be trained as a tree)

Cassia leptophylla (will drop leaves, but will drop them only once a year)

Khaya nyasica (as stated above, these kick ass)

Erythrina bidwilii (will stay much smaller than most other coral trees, bright red flowers)

[Kim]

How big a tree do you want John?

I want it to be no more than 20' tall by about 10-15' wide. It can get bigger but has to be able to be pruned to keep it within this size.

You can use shrubs for something that size. Most trees are much larger. On a garden tour recently I saw a nicely shaped Pisonia umbelifera 'variegata' -- maybe 12' tall and as wide, You can prune these to the shape and size you want, and it will look good all the time, not just when flowering. but no idea how long it will take for one to grow that large.

[LJG]

Castanospermum australe is a good choice. Slow growing and it is one of the few tropical flowering broadleafs that is not deciduous. Vista Tree farm has some.

Markhamia Lutea is perfect for the tall skinny requirement. But it will drop leafs. Vista Tree Farm also.

Jason, I lost my Erblichia odorata. Thing grew supper fast for me. I got it to a good size and put it outside last winter (in a pot) to test. It died. I really think this is a no go. But of course one mans try certainly yields no truths.

[Fouquieria]

John, I know you said you didn't want deciduous but...

You could do worse than this...

[BigFrond]

Castanospermum australe is not a small tree. Mine was 19-20 feet after 5 years. I chopped it down and repot it because it was getting big. It's now about 5 feet tall.

How about a Bombax ellipticum? This tree has a very nice trunk and big flowers. The new leaves are dark burgundy. It will shed all of it leaves at once. However, there are not very much leaves on the tree. You can also cut it back near the base and it will grow back to form a different canopy.

or

Pachira aquatica or "money tree". Many places sell this tree for an indoor plant. However, it can survive the SD County wheather. the leaves will become thicker and the flowers are awesome. The SD Zoo has this tree.

[Justin]

That's interesting - all five of my Castanospermums are well behaved and easy to manage

[BigFrond]

That's interesting - all five of my Castanospermums are well behaved and easy to manage

There was nothing wrong with mine. It was just getting too big. I noticed the ones at the Wild Animal Park didn't grow very big. Their trees even have big fruits. The one at Quail is getting to a decent size. There's one somewhere in LA or Santa Barbara that is just a monster (40ftX40ft). Epicure wanted a medium tree, and I believe this tree will not be medium.

[mppalms]

Good choice. Another good one from your 'hood: Alberta magna (can't imagine why I didn't think of this one).

Jason

[LJG]

Alberta magna is real pain to germinate. I am sitting on 100 seed and none will germinate. Leon said they were tough. Small plants are difficult too. I lost mine. From being stupid.

Also, where do you expect to find Alberta magna in SoCal?

[Shon]

That's a neat lookin tree Dennis. Is this one availible in So Cal Len or Peter my two tropical tree experts?

[epicure3]

I think someone else who posts here (Len?) tried Erblichia odorata. I'm also foolishly trying it (so far so good, says the man falling from the building). In your area, it might have a good chance. My guess is that it will grow reasonably slowly, and while it can be a larger (than 20') tree in habitat, it won't get that large in CA.

You might also want to try one of the Hawaiian hibiscus trees, which probably top out at 15', or one of the smaller Tabebuias.

Are you looking to emphasize flowers or foliage?

Jason

That all sounds great. I googled those and the flowers look awesome. Now, if I could actually get a specimen......

[epicure3]

Castanospermum australe is a good choice. Slow growing and it is one of the few tropical flowering broadleafs that is not deciduous. Vista Tree farm has some.

Markhamia Lutea is perfect for the tall skinny requirement. But it will drop leafs. Vista Tree Farm also.

Jason, I lost my Erblichia odorata. Thing grew supper fast for me. I got it to a good size and put it outside last winter (in a pot) to test. It died. I really think this is a no go. But of course one mans try certainly yields no truths.

The Moreton Bay Chestnut may get too big eventually and I don't know how it prunes. The Markhamia is sort of in the league of what I am looking for. Also, a nice looking tree. Tall and thin. The placement is in my side yard near the front door but I have other plants situated that need sun that is currently blocked (Tahitian Gardenia, spiral ginger, etc...blah blah blah...). In addition, I have a permanently sited fountain that is currently a receptacle for Michelia leaves. I haven't had that thing working for a couple of years due to leaf and flower drop. The wife wants it working.....sooner than later. I have a PM out to Steve in SD about the Mahogany.

[epicure3]

Good choice. Another good one from your 'hood: Alberta magna (can't imagine why I didn't think of this one).

Jason

That look awesome as well. If I knew where to get one, that would be great.

[epicure3]

John, I know you said you didn't want deciduous but...

You could do worse than this...

I love coral trees, but a lot of my neighbors have them so I can see them frequently. I love them!!

[epicure3]

Castanospermum australe is not a small tree. Mine was 19-20 feet after 5 years. I chopped it down and repot it because it was getting big. It's now about 5 feet tall.

How about a Bombax ellipticum? This tree has a very nice trunk and big flowers. The new leaves are dark burgundy. It will shed all of it leaves at once. However, there are not very much leaves on the tree. You can also cut it back near the base and it will grow back to form a different canopy.

or

Pachira aquatica or "money tree". Many places sell this tree for an indoor plant. However, it can survive the SD County wheather. the leaves will become thicker and the flowers are awesome. The SD Zoo has this tree.

I have a Pachira. It's on a slope so it doesn't get enough water. In the location I have in mind, it would....definitely a possibility. Mine actually flowered last year.

[PalmsZA]

Hey Shon

Peter did have some that he was growing, how they doing Pete?

Seed available from the link below: These guys have so many great seeds!!!

http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/14731251/An...Tree_Seeds.html

Price is R2.10 a seed or US$ 26c and shipping is reasonable.

[mppalms]

I have a pretty small one. I could try to strike some cuttings, but I suspect you want more instant gratification. I got mine at a Strybing plant sale. Even at its current size (very large 1g), it is flowering like mad.

Jason

[That look awesome as well. If I knew where to get one, that would be great.

[mppalms]

I tried 100 seeds and got 0% germination as well. Don't bother. I think the seeds literally need to fall off the tree and into some potting soil. I will likely have some very fresh seeds in about a month. I can try FedEx'ing them to interested people, but there is no guarantee they will be any better.

My small Alberta magna came from a Strybing plant sale. I've heard they were once more popular, but they are somewhat hard to keep alive. They like a lot of water. (I keep mine pretty much wet all year.)

Jason

Alberta magna is real pain to germinate. I am sitting on 100 seed and none will germinate. Leon said they were tough. Small plants are difficult too. I lost mine. From being stupid.

Also, where do you expect to find Alberta magna in SoCal?

[mppalms]

How easy are they to germinate? I tried some in the past (from a different source).. with no luck.

Jason

Hey Shon

Peter did have some that he was growing, how they doing Pete?

Seed available from the link below: These guys have so many great seeds!!!

http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/14731251/An...Tree_Seeds.html

Price is R2.10 a seed or US$ 26c and shipping is reasonable.

[PalmsZA]

Hi Jason

No idea? I bought 3 a few years ago as seedlings, maybe Peter should jump in sometime...

Cheers

Dennis

[ariscott]

Not sure where Peter is... Usually he won't miss out any discussion on trees....

My suggestion would be Deplanchea tetraphylla. I have one growing and it is absolutely beautiful!!! It is hardy as well, and quite drought tolerant.

Regards, Ari

[Peter]

John, there are choices, but one of the limiting factors is trying to find something that will top out at 15-20'. I would say that Moreton Bay Chestnut is definitely too big; also, isn't Khaya Nyasica also a very large tree? Deplanchea is a good idea in theory Ari, but it is proving to be a tough grow here in Socal. I personally love Caesalpinias, both ferrea and peltophoroides, but they will get too large, although the ferrea seems to be a more upright tree. So, what's left? I'm a big fan of Tabebuias; impetiginosa will eventually get larger than 20' but could take awhile, especially if you held back the water(which they don't mind as they're very drought tolerant). There are some smaller Tabs, but they tend to be alot slower growing. One idea might be the cross between impetiginosa and chrysotricha-apricot flowers and they seem to be smaller than impetiginosa. Of course, it will probably be tough to find. I have a few small seedlings but they're a couple of years away from planting size. Another good possibility is Jacaranda jasminoides-the only caveat is that no one seems to know exactly how large it will become. I am guessing that it will top out at about 20' so it might be a really good choice. Much nice than a mimosifolia, as it has broader leaflets, doesn't seem to get ratty in the spring, and has fantastic deep purple flowers. Leon has them for $40 each-I'm growing this one, and there are several others here growing it as well. Len even flowered his in the first year. Stemmadenia littoralis is a small tree that would probably top out in Socal at around 12-15'-beautiful scented flowers and lush foliage. Ron is growing it in San Diego and loves it. You'll have trouble finding one of size however-again I've got some small seedlings but they're a couple of years away from planting. Perhaps a source in Florida would ship one here as they're easily found there. Trevesia palmata is an interesting tree that might work there-it's grown for it's foliage instead of it's flowers. Markhamia seems like it would be a good choice, although I don't know much about it personally. John Rees had a Markhamia at the Palm Society meeting(photos included). That's my 2 cents; no doubt there are other choices but that's all I can think of right now.

[ThunderSRQ]

Peter (or others) -- can you suggest any good sources for Khaya Nyasica? (preferably in the Eastern US but input on any good resource would be appreciated)

Also, what is the typical maximum height of the Moreton Bay Chestnut? I had read that this is a rainforest tree that will grow well under canopy (and not get "too" tall) and I'm considering planting one under my high live oak canopy (25' to 30' "ceiling" before it would need to find its way up & out).

Thanks...

Tim

[Peter]

I believe Leon has small Khaya seedlings for sale. As for the max height on the Castanospermum-I've seen very old specimens that must be 60' tall at the Huntington, although they were probably planted over 50 years ago.

[ThunderSRQ]

Thanks Peter -- I know I should know this but what is Leon's PalmTalk name? (and if it's just "Leon", I'm going to feel doubly stupid!) And it appears the "jury's out" re: if I should plant my MB Chestnut under those live oaks...(I guess I could manage it with some regular trim work if it looks to be getting too tall)

Also, here are a couple more potential choices from my list:

Senna alata (Candle bush)

Macaranga grandifolia -- AWESOME huge leaves (although may be too wide and not tall enough for this particular application)

Elaeocarpus grandiflorus (Lily of the Valley tree)

Cordia boissieri (Texas olive or white geiger) -- although not tropical, this is a very attractive small tree

Brya ebenus (Jamaican rain tree)

Lastly, although they also are not tropical, there are some very attractive holly trees that might fit the bill for a smallish ornamental tree choice.

Tim