Well-pruned Carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anancardioides)

[fastfeat]

OK, not one of my favorite trees-- over-used, messy seed litter, prolific volunteers, etc. Plus, they're difficult to prune well, as they tend to originate most branches too close together. As they age, these tight crotches are prone to failure; as a result, trees are too-often heavily headed-back to reduce weight and maintain the trees in the landscape.

But here is one that is pruned well, without the typical tight crotches so often seen.

[Eric in Orlando]

That is a good pruning job. We have one a bit bigger but it has never fruited. The day it fruits and starts coming up everywhere it will come out but until then, its a nice tree. Just like our 2 big Bischofia javanica.

[Mandrew968]

This would be a great post for "carrotwoodtalk.org". Since this isn't a palm, I don't have much else to say... oh--the trim job is SOOO nice!!!

[LJG]

Hence why this is in the " TROPICAL LOOKING PLANTS - Other Than Palms" part of the forum.

[Gonzer]

Carrotwood has no rightful place on this planet.....JMHO.

[Patrick]

In my neck of the woods it's hard to find a nice prune job PERIOD.

I concur- very nice. I wish more people knew the skill of proper pruning.

If it's a carrotwood, why isn't it orange???

[BigFrond]

Carrotwood has no rightful place on this planet.....JMHO.

+1

The best way to prune a Carrotwood id all the way to the soil level. This is still not enough. The whole rootball must be yank out too.

[Gonzer]

Carrotwood has no rightful place on this planet.....JMHO.

+1

The best way to prune a Carrotwood is all the way to the soil level. This is still not enough. The whole rootball must be yank out too.

+2 I usually throw in a few gallons of gasoline then bring in a coven of witches to cast bad juju on it's ancestors.

[DoomsDave]

Carrotwoods make very heavy, dense wood that crashes dramatically to the ground when you fell one.

Even a relatively small one will shake the ground.

Once the wood dries, it's hard like stone and burns like coal once ignited. Great on a cold night here in the Land O'La La, place of the Laughing Smog . . . .

A coven of witches will only make it stronger. I recommend playing a Barney the Dinosaur recording for a short time, like, say, a minute, for its will to live to be completely sapped.

[Brad-Tampa]

Carrotwood has no rightful place on this planet.....JMHO.

+1

The best way to prune a Carrotwood is all the way to the soil level. This is still not enough. The whole rootball must be yank out too.

+2 I usually throw in a few gallons of gasoline then bring in a coven of witches to cast bad juju on it's ancestors.

I prefer Garlon

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Carrotwoods really aren't bad trees, they are just misunderstood.

Many desirable trees, left to their own devices, exhibit very bad structure. Carrotwood trees are attractive trees if pruned properly. The only bad thing about them is their invasiveness. I planted thousands of these things before we realized how invasive they are. Thousands, and by their seedlings, maybe millions. Should I go to confession?

IMO, the tree pictured is over-lifted.

[Tropicgardener]

Haven't ever heard of the common name of Carrotwood for these trees........There are plenty of them growing in the riparian rainforest along the beach dunes down the street from here, some are very, very old.

[fastfeat]

IMO, the tree pictured is over-lifted.

By Florida standards, perhaps. But this is actually quite low-headed for SoCal, where weekly street-sweeping is a God-given right. Typical municipal clearance specs are 14'/7' street/sidewalk, but sidewalk side is typically matched with street for "symmetry" I'll try to get some pics of more typical trees (under which a muni bus on flatbed wouldn't dislodge a seedpod) in the next day or so.

[fastfeat]

Haven't ever heard of the common name of Carrotwood for these trees........There are plenty of them growing in the riparian rainforest along the beach dunes down the street from here, some are very, very old.

Is Tuckeroo the common name locally? It is referenced as such in the old Sunset Western Garden book (1967), but that name never caught on in the States.

[Tropicgardener]

Haven't ever heard of the common name of Carrotwood for these trees........There are plenty of them growing in the riparian rainforest along the beach dunes down the street from here, some are very, very old.

Is Tuckeroo the common name locally? It is referenced as such in the old Sunset Western Garden book (1967), but that name never caught on in the States.

Yes that is correct......I have only ever known it as Tuckeroo.