Fwd: Brachychiton acerifolius

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michael Mace <m*@att.net>
Date: Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 11:46 AM
Subject: RE: Brachychiton acerifolius
To: m*@ucdavis.edu


Ahhh, one of my favorite trees.

I grow it in San Jose, CA, on a south-facing hillside. ÂThe tree is about 10-12 years old, and maybe 15-20 feet tall, growing in heavy clay subsoil.

The winter temperatures here get down to about 20F on the coldest nights, and we've had branch tips on the tree die back after cold winters. ÂLike many subtropical trees, this damage has a tendency to spread back down the branch and take out a segment of it. ÂThe tree does recover, but over the years it gets a bit ragged looking.

You should have much less trouble in your climate.

I don't know how much heat the tree needs. ÂIt gets a lot here in summer.

Flowering of the tree is erratic here. ÂSome years it's pretty good, other years it does almost nothing. ÂI suspect that the amount of winter rain has something to do with that. ÂThe drier the winter, the better it seems to bloom (this year will be a very good test of my theory). ÂYou should make sure it gets irrigation in the summer, and maybe plant it someplace where you won't water it in the winter (the middle of a lawn would not be a good idea, IMO).

When it does bloom, the tree is spectacular.

By the way, I also strongly recommend Brachychiton bidwillii, if you can find it. ÂIt's a shrub rather than a tree, but is hardy here and blooms reliably every year, with bright red flowers all over it.

I got both B. acerifolius and B. bidwillii from The Dry Garden in Oakland, CA. ÂThey have them only occasionally, so I'd call before driving over. ÂOr if you want some seeds, feel free to ping me...

By the way, UCLA has several trees of Brachychiton populneus which are very impressive. ÂThey do grow in a lawn, and are getting massive. ÂTheir flowers are not as spectacular as B. acerifolius, but they're reliable and nice looking.

Hope this helps,

Mike
San Jose, CA