Pithecellobium dulce-- Guamuchil

[fastfeat]

The show is brief, but this spiny legume from Mexico puts on a good show of color when leafing out, at least in SoCal (can't say I noticed it much in SoFla, where it is more abundant and gets much larger.) Most often seen in Hispanic neighborhoods in SoCal, where pulp from its pods (when produced) is made into a drink. Fast-growing to maybe 30' in CA, it is limited by frost tolerance to only about 30F.

[aloetom]

I've seen it grown in many parts of Saudi Arabia and there too, it puts on a good show.

Several bad freezes have happened in my time here and although this plant takes it hard, it tends to re sprout from the larger branches. But of course it looks terrible after that.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I never noticed that color for new growth. Nice. I will have to pay closer attention to it. Speaking of colorful Pithecelobium, Jesse Durko was selling a variegated Pith shrub that looked like Breynia nervosa, but I don't know if it was P.dulce or some other species.

[fastfeat]

I never noticed that color for new growth. Nice. I will have to pay closer attention to it. Speaking of colorful Pithecelobium, Jesse Durko was selling a variegated Pith shrub that looked like Breynia nervosa, but I don't know if it was P.dulce or some other species.

Yep, variegated Pithecelobium dulce, pretty common in Hawaii (called opiuma there). It's considerably more tender than the green form (too cold in SoCal, AFAIK); I'm surprised it hasn't been established in SoFla years ago.