New Canopy Tree Champion @ Manambe Lavaka

[MattyB]

My Acacia dealbata has now exceeded my Schizolobium in height, and it was planted several years after the Schizolobium, so it definitely outpaces it as well. It's evergreen, has a very nice blue-green hue to the trunk, and the leaves are very fine and delicate, almost giving a pine tree appearance from a distance. This tree has not flowered yet, but it should be a nice yellow puff ball all over the thing. The only other garden I've seen this tree growing in is Justin's. I can't think of a better canopy tree to have in a palm garden. Thanks to Troy who upon seeing Justin's tree I.D.'d it for me and was very generous in sending me seeds as soon as he got back to Tasmania! I love it!

[Palms1984]

It a gorgeous tree! Your garden looks terrific!

I noticed your papaya plants. Do you get lots of papaya fruit?

[palmislandRandy]

A very sporty looking tree it is

[MattyB]

It a gorgeous tree! Your garden looks terrific!

I noticed your papaya plants. Do you get lots of papaya fruit?

Thanks. I get tons of papaya! I just cut down 20 plants and replated with the seedlings from the seeds I collected to start the whole process over again. I even got a crop of the Hawaiian ones one time, but I've learned that it's sorta hard to time them so they fruit right at the beginning of spring, otherwise the fruit gets nasty if left on over winter. So I just stick with the mexican ones now.

[Palms1984]

It a gorgeous tree! Your garden looks terrific!

I noticed your papaya plants. Do you get lots of papaya fruit?

Thanks. I get tons of papaya! I just cut down 20 plants and replated with the seedlings from the seeds I collected to start the whole process over again. I even got a crop of the Hawaiian ones one time, but I've learned that it's sorta hard to time them so they fruit right at the beginning of spring, otherwise the fruit gets nasty if left on over winter. So I just stick with the mexican ones now.

That's great! I get lot of papayas, also. I've grown the Hawaiian solos without any problems, The one papaya variety I have problems with is the 'Red Caribbean'. I one that's around 6' tall, which I started last summer and planted into the ground late last summer. It's just starting to flower.

One of the easiest varieties to grow is the 'Thai Dwarf'. The leaves on the plant are gigantic, also. The fruit can grow huge, to almost 20" long here in my garden. I have many seeds if you're interested.

Here's a photo a photo of my 'Thai Dwarf' fruit.

[MattyB]

Interesting. What's the flavor like? We've been eating them green more often then letting them ripen nowadays. Green papaya salad is just so good!

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Matty They certainly are a very fast growing tree and i saw them today as i was driving home from work covered in winter yellow flowers .

They are drought hardy disease free and immpossible to kill.

hard to believe i only sent the seed over 2,5 yrs ago

[Jonathan]

Just don't disturb the roots if its a dry forest type - they can sucker like mad.

I've got a clonal forest covering about an acre and heading north at several metres a year...all from one original tree!

The wet forest type doesn't sucker and grows much taller.

I use them for mulch.

[Palms1984]

Interesting. What's the flavor like? We've been eating them green more often then letting them ripen nowadays. Green papaya salad is just so good!

All my papayas are very sweet, just like candy. I let them ripen as much as possible on the plant. Even when ripened in winter all my papayas are very sweet.

Filipino-style green papaya chicken (Tinola) is the best. Have you ever tried or cooked it?

I gave bags of big green papayas to my Filipino friends early this year.

[MattyB]

That sounds awesome, I would like to try seeds from your Thai dwarf then. All of mine are just grown from store bought varieties so I don't think they are anything special or have cultivar names.

[Palms1984]

That sounds awesome, I would like to try seeds from your Thai dwarf then. All of mine are just grown from store bought varieties so I don't think they are anything special or have cultivar names.

Yes, I will get you some seeds. Maybe when I come to visit your garden?

[MattyB]

Heck yeah! All are welcome all are welcome go into the light

[JasonD]

Acacia dealbata is a pretty tree with spectacular bloom, but we in the Bay Area forget that (at least until January) because it's such a weed around here. It's probably the case for you with Limonium perezii in San Diego.

[Josh-O]

My Acacia dealbata has now exceeded my Schizolobium in height, and it was planted several years after the Schizolobium, so it definitely outpaces it as well. It's evergreen, has a very nice blue-green hue to the trunk, and the leaves are very fine and delicate, almost giving a pine tree appearance from a distance. This tree has not flowered yet, but it should be a nice yellow puff ball all over the thing. The only other garden I've seen this tree growing in is Justin's. I can't think of a better canopy tree to have in a palm garden. Thanks to Troy who upon seeing Justin's tree I.D.'d it for me and was very generous in sending me seeds as soon as he got back to Tasmania! I love it!

Great pictures Matty!!! I've been inspired to find some seeds? I cant believe the incredible growth rate of this tree. not only drought hardy, cold tolerant and also a nitrogen fixer. Sounds like a win win!!! !!!

[LJG]

Don't be in a big hurry to get seed. Matty chopped it

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/42271-and-tassie-troys-tree-comes-down/?hl=dealbata

[Justin]

I chopped mine too. It was awesome it's first couple years when it was just going up, but then it got to be about 10 meters tall and decided it was up high enough and started spreading outwards. When it did so, it became much uglier, and put out too much shade. Such a bummer.

[DoomsDave]

Alas fast is sometimes, well, fast.

I'll bet they make good fire wood . . . .

How are other acacias, like bailyana? They're smaller, but that might be a huge advantage.

[MattyB]

I chopped mine too. It was awesome it's first couple years when it was just going up, but then it got to be about 10 meters tall and decided it was up high enough and started spreading outwards. When it did so, it became much uglier, and put out too much shade. Such a bummer.

Justin, it was your tree, that I first saw years ago, which turned me on. It does grow very tall and dense, creating deep shade below. I liked this because you could limb it way up and still have a canopy. But eventually I cut mine down just like yours because it was just too large of a tree crammed into my rainforest area. I really want to try it again planted out in an open area so it can spread b to its full potential.

[Phoenikakias]

I have dealt in the past with a similiar problem here called Leucaena! Only it did not have time to grow in to a giant, because problems had started already with the fruition. EVERY SINGLE SEED of the hundreds, then thousands produced seemed to have been sprouting in my garden and with in one to two years since germination fairly big trees were to be seen all around with deep, deep, deep roots. You could not uproot them nor fell them dead, as they were resprouting rapidly! Fortunately they have proved very sensitive to 'crossbow'. Never do the same mistake again!

[Josh-O]

That tree grows crazy fast!!

[Justin]

I had a Leucaena as well a few years back, and really liked its foliage as well. It grew even faster than the Acacia, but I ended up cutting it out because it would drop all its leaves during the winter, making it useless as a canopy tree to me. I can only imagine how invasive they'd be in Hawaii - hopefully we'll never find out.