Cold hardiness info needed of various tropical trees

[Kostas]

Hello

I am interested in the cold hardiness of Brosimum alicastrum,Mangifera indica,Lytchii chinensis,Swietenia macrophylla,Diospyros digyna,Stenocarpus sinuatus,Averrhoa carambola,Rollinia deliciosa,Mammea americana,Ficus benghalensis,Ficus maclellandi 'Allii',Pouteria sp.,Artocarpus sp.,Cercropia sp,Bertholetia excelsa and Delonix regia. I have Castanospermum australe and has never damaged for me so if any of these have similar cold hardiness with it,please let me know! My usual lows are -1C to -2C at the coldest part of 1-2 nights annually and -3,6C briefly,at the coldest part of the night every 20years. I want to grow as many of these trees as possible but only want those that can survive with minimal to no branch damage when our 20year low hits them as mature trees.

Please let me know as much as possible on their cold hardiness,leaf damage temperatures and branch damage ones. Right now I am debating on which ones to use at my most exposed locations as windbreaks for the rest of the garden and canopy for the palms as well. I am planning to use Brosimum alicastrum,Diospyros digyna,Litchii chinensis and Stenocarpus sinuatus. Are all of these able to hold up to my record low temperatures well and without any significant branch damage? The duration of my lows is minimal,they are radiational freezes.

Thank you very much in advance!

[_Keith]

Delonix regia is not likely to thrive and probably not even survive outside of Zone 10a. They start losing leaves at 40 degrees.

[Palms1984]

Most likely Artocarpus species will not survive. They are extremely tender especially when young.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Your temps are a bit cooler than South Florida, where most of these are just about bullet proof. The Litchi actually likes it cooler than our temps so it may thrive for you. It is also dense so would be a good buffer/windbreak.

I have seen mango growing in some pretty cold winter hot summer places, but does not fruit well outside its best range. I don't know how the Bertholetia will do, good luck getting that one. Do you have a source?

[JasonD]

Stenocarpus sinuatus and Ficus maclellandii can be grown easily in Southern California, even in areas with light frost.

[siafu]

Hi Kostas,

Some of the species you have listed are likely to be rather tough to grow in your location/climate.

They will need protection and, as such, they will be poor choices for exposed areas or to function as windbreaks. Moreover, when grown outside of the tropics, borderline species tend to grow slowly and somewhat stunted, so they are a poor choice for building canopy; cold snaps in many cases leads to defoliation.

I have some experience with the species below:

- Mangifera indica.

Huge in the tropics, puny in the mediterranean climate. In most cultivars, winter cold promotes flowering/fruiting at the expense of new foliage. -1C/-2C will cause serious damage to branches.

- Litchi chinensis

Very bad choice for wind break. Young plants are very difficult to establish in windy areas.

Takes light frosts, but expect damage below -1C/-2C.

- Diospyros digyna

Beautiful tree that is a fast grower but not very hardy. Shows damage below freezing. -3.5C for several hours will kill branches 4 cm in diameter.

Averrhoa carambola.

Does not like wind and will look spent by the end of the winter if exposed to cold rain and near freezing. Takes some frost but will defoliate.

Rollinia deliciosa.

Fast grower but the root system is weak and prone to rotting in cold wet soil. Foliage shows some damage after a light frost (0C-1C). -3.5C is going to be a serious problem.

-Mammea americana

Delicate and very slow growing. Does not take frost of any kind.

-Artocarpus sp.

bread fruit, marang, pedalai - These are extremely tender, they will die well above freezing. 7C is already too cold for them.

Jackfruit takes light frosts but growth rate outside the tropics is slow. I expect -3.5C to cause serious damage to thick branches.

Kwai muk is a bit hardier than jackfruit but grows very slowly the first few years.

Lakoocha/Monkey jack - grows well in Malaga, Spain.

- Delonix regia

Very fast grower. Loves summer heat. Expects a dry winter to go dormant. Winter rain prevents dormancy and will make it tender to light frosts. Thinner branches often experience dieback. Normal winter cold causes slow defoliation. Nevertheless, at my location, the fast growth rate of summer is able to offset winter damage. Still waiting for the first flowers but they are unlikely...

Edited September 7, 2013 by siafu