Big Tipuana tipu

January 14, 2011

This big tree is one of only a few remaining on one of the substreet median islands here. I'm estimating it to be over 60'/20m tall, maybe 80'/27m wide, with a DBH over 36"/91cm in diameter.

Edited January 14, 2011 by fastfeat

January 14, 2011

Now thats a big specimen ! This biggest I know of around here is one at Disney's Animal Kingdom and one at Lake Brantley Nursery in Altamonte Springs.

January 14, 2011

We have one in the back that has been there for years almost as big, it is surrounded by other trees so it's not quite so lush. When in bloom the ground looks like it is covered in a yellow carpet. Have been trying to get seeds from it last couple of years, our squirrel population eats them before they're ripe. Beautiful tree any idea how old that one is?

January 14, 2011

Are these tipa street trees always such open form? I've seen pictures of them in Argentina with dead-straight trunks for at least 20m, is this just environment or is there a genetic factor?

I've often wondered why these trees aren't planted more for timber production, but I guess pictures of big trees with form like this might be the answer :winkie:

January 15, 2011

I would imagine the ones in Argentina are grown for their wood which probably takes training or there are so many others fighting for light they grow straight to fight for light. Their branches twist and turn which doesn't make for nice long boards. Ours splits into multiple branches about 3 meters from the ground. Beautiful wood! :drool:

January 15, 2011

Those grow gigantic in my area. Unfortunately they are among the most invasive pest species and it costs me a fortune each year to get rid of them. One big old specimen near to my property sends up 100 or more seedlings in my garden every year and so I curse them with a vengeance

Peachy

January 15, 2011

Peachy!

I am glad to see you posting and hope your recovery from the flood is as swift as possible. We were glad to hear you were OK.

Geraldo

January 16, 2011

Have been trying to get seeds from it last couple of years, our squirrel population eats them before they're ripe. Beautiful tree any idea how old that one is?

Seeds are typically plentifully-produced in CA (usually the chief complaint about the tree). But in all my years, I've never seen a seedling volunteer! (They do sprout easily in containers, however.) LMK if you want some next fall.

This area is all postwar subdivisions, mostly 1950's-era. Might be original planting or 1960s-era?

January 16, 2011

Are these tipa street trees always such open form? I've seen pictures of them in Argentina with dead-straight trunks for at least 20m, is this just environment or is there a genetic factor?

I've often wondered why these trees aren't planted more for timber production, but I guess pictures of big trees with form like this might be the answer

I suspect that the shape is chiefly environmental. In coastal to intermediate valleys of California, they're typically wider than tall (if spacing allows). But I noticed that trees in the low desert here are decidedly more vertical in habit (The same is true for desert-grown Jacaranda mimosifolia and Leucaena leucocephala as well.) Perhaps the reflectivity of surfaces and high ambient temps make a wider canopy of these species (relatively) unsustainable?

Tipuana tipu, showing more typical low-desert habit:

January 16, 2011

Have been trying to get seeds from it last couple of years, our squirrel population eats them before they're ripe. Beautiful tree any idea how old that one is?

Seeds are typically plentifully-produced in CA (usually the chief complaint about the tree). But in all my years, I've never seen a seedling volunteer! (They do sprout easily in containers, however.) LMK if you want some next fall.

This area is all postwar subdivisions, mostly 1950's-era. Might be original planting or 1960s-era?

Many of the neighborhoods around here were built at the same time. It's been told to me that many of the service men coming back from war returned with the seeds of the large enterlobium, caeselpinia, jaccaranda and other exotic trees we have around here now, to give them the tropical feel they grew to love. Unfortunately many of the houses were built on old orange groves and the developers were to cheap to remove their stumps leaving big depressions in driveways and even sinking in houses.

Where I am staying now was an old nursery back in the 50's, that's where our tipuana came from along with our huge kagelias, australian pine, bougainvillea, castenospermum and tabebeuia, all large trees compared to many others in the area.

January 17, 2011

Those grow gigantic in my area. Unfortunately they are among the most invasive pest species and it costs me a fortune each year to get rid of them. One big old specimen near to my property sends up 100 or more seedlings in my garden every year and so I curse them with a vengeance
Peachy

Yea, Peachy is alive and well. Welcome back to the world of dry people. OOPS, it's raining here again.

January 18, 2011

This a new trial species for me in the North Florida Coastal Region. Got some defoliation and possibly branch die back during our long winter. Thinking this thing is going to come on like gangbusters in spring. Last summer it grew unbelievably fast down near the water.

Yes, Peachy.....what's the status? Knew we had some members affected, but didn't know which ones. :bummed:

January 18, 2011

This a new trial species for me in the North Florida Coastal Region. Got some defoliation and possibly branch die back during our long winter. Thinking this thing is going to come on like gangbusters in spring. Last summer it grew unbelievably fast down near the water.

Yes, Peachy.....what's the status? Knew we had some members affected, but didn't know which ones.

Speaking of trial species, how do you think the Ombu faired?

January 18, 2011

This a new trial species for me in the North Florida Coastal Region. Got some defoliation and possibly branch die back during our long winter. Thinking this thing is going to come on like gangbusters in spring. Last summer it grew unbelievably fast down near the water.

Yes, Peachy.....what's the status? Knew we had some members affected, but didn't know which ones.

I'm trialing this one in Ocala too. I think we get freezes just a bit colder than you but we warm up pretty fast too being in central Florida. Last year mine died to the trunk but doubled in size over the summer. It is planted in a lawn. Please keep us informed on how yours does!

-Krishna

January 28, 2011

Here are a few more trees in Anaheim that are at most ten years old. These are somewhat more upright than many in SoCal. Not sure how much is due to pruning (raising) versus genetics though.

January 28, 2011

This a new trial species for me in the North Florida Coastal Region. Got some defoliation and possibly branch die back during our long winter. Thinking this thing is going to come on like gangbusters in spring. Last summer it grew unbelievably fast down near the water.

Yes, Peachy.....what's the status? Knew we had some members affected, but didn't know which ones.

Speaking of trial species, how do you think the Ombu faired?

Pretty good....It finally defoliated with the last couple of freezes we had. The first few freezes I covered it and moved it to a more sheltered location. Once I saw that it had some hardiness it was moved back out to a sunnier but more exposed position. It has seen a few 10 hr. plus freezes in the upper 20's and doesn't have any branch die back....hopefully optomistic that it will do well here.

Can't wait to change the soil (sand) to something a little lighter. The Ombu is now in a 35 gallon black planter and it is very heavy....think a much lighter potting soil may provide a better growing medium and be easier to move.

January 28, 2011

Here is one planted at Disney's Animal Kingdom. They moved it from the former sight of Reasoner's Nursery south of Tampa. Reasoner's was the first big nursery started in FL in the late 1800s. This Tipuana was supposedly the first specimen brought into FL, introduced by Reasoner's.

I need to get an updated photo, this is years old. It was cut back severely for the move and has grown back well. A historic specimen !

April 11, 2018

Seems like a great tree! Does anyone know how much wind these can take?

I'm a little more concerned about that now after last year's experience. If you're in the path of a Cat 4 hurricane things are bad enough as they are without having to worry about trees coming down.

April 11, 2018

The big ones at Epcot (and Disney) and Universal have held up well as have the ones here at Leu Gardens. There are a few around town that have survived also.

April 11, 2018

3 hours ago, Eric in Orlando said:

The big ones at Epcot (and Disney) and Universal have held up well as have the ones here at Leu Gardens. There are a few around town that have survived also.

Good to know, thanks Eric!

December 1, 2018

Forgot about Tipu's .... wonder if my old one survived...need to try another but they are hard to find online. Anybody know who sells seedlings?

September 13, 2020

Bump!.. After alluding to it here and there for awhile, took a couple pictures of what i believe to be the largest Tipu specimen i have come across -at least here in the East valley of Phoenix.. There may be others of similar size, maybe large.. maybe?? in other ideal parts of overall Phoenix ( Phoenix proper, Glendale, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa )

Looking at it head on, from the street, looks tall, but not all that wide.. Looks like it may have lost a couple limbs as well.

From another angle, you can see it must have been trimmed -to some degree- on the side that faces the street..
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Considering it nearly equals or eclipses the height of the Washingtonia in the same yard, That's a BIG Tipuana for AZ!

Thinking the soil in this part of Chandler must be very deep since the same general neighborhood ( West side of Chandler High School ) contains several big, though not all that tall Mulberry that have some fluting on the trunks and a massive -for this area- Cottonwood, Aleppo and Eldarica Pines, etc.

August 31, 2022

I thought I’d share the progress on mine and this seems like as good of place as any… I bought a mail order 1g about 5’ and planted it around March 2020. Here it is today, around 15’ high and 20’+ across.

It has done very well and has grown exceptionally fast. I was surprised it took some slight (5%) damage from a 30f freeze and some frost so it’s a little less hardy than I expected.

My Hong Kong Orchid has also done very well. It went in at the same time and roughly the same size. It’s grown fast too, but today the Tipuana tipu is about twice the size overall.

May 12, 2023

Summore' big Tipuana..

" Swamp " Mesquite ( Friend's term for all the South American crossed Mesquite specimens you see planted here ) giving the Tipuana to it's left some competition.

First flower on mine..