Couroupita guianensis - Cannonball Tree IN CALIFORNIA?

[QUINNPALMS]

Does anyone know the hardiness of this tree, I think I remember seeing one at disneyland on tom sawyers island , I would love to grow one in fallbrook???

 

thanks!!

[LJG]

The only trial tree I have had die faster in it's first winter was Bulnesia arborea. I always hate saying "no" but this one is very cold tender. Maybe grow it up big first. Mine was small.

[The Silent Seed]

There's some here in Massachusetts - they are hardier than you think! 

[LJG]

2 hours ago, santoury said:

There's some here in Massachusetts - they are hardier than you think! 

Sorry, but this tree is not growing in the ground outside in Mass. I would love to see a photo of your Amazon rainforest tree outside there. 

[The Silent Seed]

Nope - it's not outside of course But it's worth a chuckle. 

I'll take some new photos - I've just done some improvements on the plant house AKA rainforest and am cleaning up the mess. 

[LJG]

Post pics. Love to see it. 

[tropicbreeze]

Mine is very slow growing, I don't think it likes the dry season and loses most of its leaves. It's planted in too exposed a position. The ones from the same batch in the nursery where I bought it are already a lot bigger. They don't sell well because the fruits (cannonballs) have a terrible stench when they break open so they're not popular. That's why I planted mine so far away from the house. They're definitely a rainforest lover.

[Josh-O]

super cool tree! I wish I could grow one in my climate

[Yunder Wækraus]

On 1/24/2016, 2:17:46, Josh-O said:

super cool tree! I wish I could grow one in my climate

Do you know for a fact that you cannot grow it? I planted one in the summer of 2015 in a terrible location. It's in my front yard with no protection from ocean winds or future freezes. We never got down to freezing temperatures during its first winter, so I cannot say how it would handle a 10a winter. It had no problem with the brief dip in temps to the high 30s, however. I feel that we're going to get some real cold snaps in FL this go around, so we'll see whether my baby can take a frost and/or freeze. I'm sure your location is at least as temperate as mine, so if my cannonball tree makes it through a weak freeze, I'll let everyone know, and you can try one :-) I saw the big ones at Fairchild when they were in bloom and festooned with the cannonballs, and I think it's my favorite ornamental tree from the tropics. It really looks like nothing else. Even if my current hard-to-find tree perishes (it wasn't cheap or easy to find in my county!), I might save up my pennies and try again in a more protected spot in my backyard. It's just too cool not to keep trying.

[Josh-O]

On 10/22/2016, 10:16:00, Yunder Wækraus said:

Do you know for a fact that you cannot grow it? I planted one in the summer of 2015 in a terrible location. It's in my front yard with no protection from ocean winds or future freezes. We never got down to freezing temperatures during its first winter, so I cannot say how it would handle a 10a winter. It had no problem with the brief dip in temps to the high 30s, however. I feel that we're going to get some real cold snaps in FL this go around, so we'll see whether my baby can take a frost and/or freeze. I'm sure your location is at least as temperate as mine, so if my cannonball tree makes it through a weak freeze, I'll let everyone know, and you can try one :-) I saw the big ones at Fairchild when they were in bloom and festooned with the cannonballs, and I think it's my favorite ornamental tree from the tropics. It really looks like nothing else. Even if my current hard-to-find tree perishes (it wasn't cheap or easy to find in my county!), I might save up my pennies and try again in a more protected spot in my backyard. It's just too cool not to keep trying.

that would be awesome if you would let us know if it can take a freeze. I have 3 acres and would love to plant on3 of these in the garden.

[Yunder Wækraus]

7 hours ago, Josh-O said:

that would be awesome if you would let us know if it can take a freeze. I have 3 acres and would love to plant on3 of these in the garden.

I can already tell you that it hates wind and salt. Mine sheds 100% of its leaves after any heavy winds (e.g. the hurricane) or even moderate sustained winds from the ocean (30 mph roughly). Its leaves do not blow off--it didn't lose a single leaf to hurricane Matthew!--but they do start to brown and eventually fall within 1-2 weeks of the aforementioned wind events. I can't help but think that mine would waste less energy if it were more protected :-(

[fastfeat]

"I think I remember seeing one at disneyland on tom sawyers island"

That's a Ficus racemosa.

[QUINNPALMS]

On 10/27/2016 at 10:53 PM, fastfeat said:

"I think I remember seeing one at disneyland on tom sawyers island"

That's a Ficus racemosa.

This is Ficus racemosa?

IMG_5403.heic IMG_5404.heic IMG_5405.heic IMG_5406.heic

[tropicbreeze]

1 hour ago, QUINNPALMS said:

This is Ficus racemosa?

IMG_5403.heic 2.26 MB · 3 downloads IMG_5404.heic 2.78 MB · 2 downloads IMG_5405.heic 2.56 MB · 1 download IMG_5406.heic 2.82 MB · 1 download

Yes that's right, that's Ficus racemosa.

Couroupita guianensis