Re: off-topic: Texas
- Subject: Re: off-topic: Texas
- From: R* S*
- Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2001 15:54:29 -0700
Deborah Lindsay wrote:
> A colleague of mine has inquired about references for plants that would do well
> in hot humid areas of Texas,specifically around College Station
I wouldn't ordinarily have an answer to a question about Texas, but I happen to
know and like this tree. It should be be more planted: A tree that grows well
there (needs some water) is Melia azedarach/azerdarach. (not 100% sure of the
species spelling). (Chinaberry, Texas Umbrella Tree) There is also a form
(umbraculiformis?) that is more compact shaped. Has very fragrant flowers and hard
berry like yellow to orange colored fruits in bunches that remain on the tree all
winter.
Since I logged on to google, I have to share this with the rest of you -
http://www.support.net/Medit-Plants/plants/Melia.azedarach.html
, since it contains a commentary by our own Alessandra:
"From Alessandra Vinciguerra in Italy, Mon,
28 Jun 1999, on Medit-Plants.
I don't know a lot about Melia's longevity,
but I have a couple of
information about the tree. The first comes from
Lady Walton, the owner
of the gardens at La Mortella, Ischia: an
eccentric, amusing, energetic
though ageing Argentinian-born lady, who is an
excellent gardener and a
superb story-teller. Well, she says that Melia is
planted everywhere in
Argentina as a Patio shading plant. The reason
being that the tree is
poisonous, so it does not attract insects,
therefore birds never stop on its
branches. As a consequence, the people sitting
under these branches are
spared birds droppings... Quite an useful advice, I
would say.
"The second thing I noticed during a trip to
Sicily, and it confirms
what you said about Melia's resistance to drought.
I saw them growing in
really arid conditions, in the volcanic isalnd
Pantelleria, among rocks, with
no water except the scarce winter rains. They have
naturalized there, and
provide a welcome and refreshing green canopy (wind
resistant as well),
besides the shade, in an otherwise dry landscape.
"I love the flowers, just like Sean does, but
I find that the leaves are
just as interesting, being a beautiful, dark green
The fruits hang from the
bare branches for a long time, and they are a nice
sight on a winter day,
when they hang like that. I like it less when they
fall, because they can rot
easily, so they are better raked and disposed at
once (children have fun
with the seeds, and make necklace etc... not ofr
nothing it is called the
Bead tree.)
"Melia comes easily from seed, and is a fast
grower: a three year old
sapling I planted in my brother's garden reached
tree-size (about 20 ft x
12 ft) in a couple, maybe 3 years. What is more
interesting, it quickly
attained an old-looking shape, with a rough bark
and heavy limbs. I hear
there is an umbrella shaped form, M.a.
"Umbraculiformis", that is
considered more suited as a street plant, but I've
never seen it.
"I think it is a highly recommendable
flowering tree for Medit
gardens."
