Re: Psoralea pinnata

A very adaptable plant here in California, where it
does seem able to deal with normal garden conditions,
and is not overly dependent on heavy watering in
summer.  It will let you know rather quickly if it is
becoming drought stressed by rapidly losing lower
branches and getting leggy much faster than it does in
normal conditions here.  I've had it grow equally well
as a permanent container plant, in beach sand and
heavy clay loam, handling them all with ease, as long
as they got regular summer irrigation.  I've had
plants last 10 to 12 years before they got so big and
gangly that they were best removed.  It can get 18/20
feet tall if not pruned.  Regular tip pinching to
encourage bushiness is always wise, especially to
remove the abundantly set seed which if allowed to
remain often results in bare branches in the vicinity
of seed if not removed.  

It has only occasionally seeded itself around, and
does need irrigated conditions to self sow.  It was
interesting to see how plentiful this is all around
Cape Town, always growing in the wettest spots
available.

I don't think this will be a good plant for Napa
Valley however, as it has no resistance to frost below
25F, which kills it to the ground.  It can be rather
heavily damaged at 28/29F here in the SF Bay Area. 
There seem to be forms that bloom over a longer season
and are especially fragrant,(what is being sold
through San Marcos Growers in Santa Barbara), while
the first plants I had were not at all fragrant,(from
Strybing) and only bloomed in late May/June.  In my
opinion, it is a great small tree or very tall leggy
shrub, it doesn't lend itself to formal settings or
being hedged, it has a certain wild quality and
appearance of a pine tree in foliage and when not
blooming.  A very fast grower, it can grow 4 feet in a
season with good water.  In habitat it was often to be
seen growing with Podalyria calyptrata and P. sericea,
two more moisture loving, quick growing pea family
members.

> > Irene Kuffel wrote:
> >  > Hello all,
> >  >
> >  > I made an impulse buy of a psoralea pinnata
> this
> > weekend, and now, in
> >  > researching its care on the web, I see that it
> > shows up in a few weed
> >  > compendiums, though without any information as
> to
> > exactly how it is
> >  > invasive. (Wouldn't it be nice if nurseries and
> > plant sales provided
> >  > online access, so one could google _before_
> > buying. :-)))
> >  >
> >  > It's native to S. Africa, and does seem to be
> > cultivated in Australia
> >  > and NZ, so perhaps some of you in the So.
> > hemisphere can advise? Is
> >  > it only invasive in wet lands? I'm nowhere
> close
> > to streams, and plan
> >  > on putting it in a fairly dry area - will it
> > flourish on low water?
> > 
> >   Irene


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