Re: Two Unique Trees - Chorisia, Brachychiton

Chorisia speciosa is not all that difficult or water
thirsty to grow here in coastal California, in zones 9
and above.  Where I have planted it here in
Oakland/Berkeley, it thrives on periodic twice monthly
irrigation.  Freeze tolerance of young plants is not
all that great, I have lost 15 gallon sized trees in
the 1990 freeze, at temps of 24F for 10 days in a row,
but a more mature specimen, much larger in size
survived temps down to 19F at the Ruth Bancroft Garden
in Walnut Creek in this same freeze, although it was
heavily damaged.  It doesn't bloom well here if
planted in too much shade, and it is probably just as
well I lost those in my shaded north facing front
garden, as I had put them where I wanted to see them,
rather than where they would grow best! 

Seedling grown trees take much longer to reach
blooming size in cooler climates, and you are better
off with grafted selections if you don't have
patience.  A seedling should rapidly increase in size
if happy, easily putting on 2 feet of growth a year.
The only requirements for rapid growth are sufficient
warmth, fertilizer and water. They don't appear to
require particularly acidic ph, as they do very well
here in the Bay Area with fairly neutral ph.

I have never seen particularly large specimens here in
northern California, at most 40 feet tall, and they
seem to only bloom well where sited to give them  wind
protection, maximum sun and warmth in fall/winter.  I
can't imagine why someone would want to remove the
thorns on the trunks, if it is dangerous, it is in the
wrong spot.  The thorns, green trunk, spectacular fall
bloom and foliage are all part and parcel of the
charm.  I recall seeing these growing in habitat in
Paraguay, just outside of Assuncion, and groves of
these trees were spectacular, and probably about 80
feet tall by 50 feet across.


Brachychiton populneum will develop a swollen trunk
with age, but this is perhaps not as reliable on all
specimens as it is with B. rupestris.  A much hardier
tree, and reliably evergreen and able to do well with
much more frost, although at its best in hotter,
inland or desert climates.  I remember seeing this
tree used well as prominent specimens in front of the
old Nut Tree Restaurant on Highway 80 in the
Sacramento Valley.  It is also a very common tree in
extremely hot deserts such as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
where it handled 130F summer temps in stride.  Watch
out for planting this too close to pavement, as it is
surface rooting and aggressive.  It is also prone to
Texas Root Rot, and drops alot of litter during bloom
season, so I wouldn't recommend it over paving.


		
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