I bought 6 seedlings at Ranch 99 in San Jose where I live. They are in a plastic lean-to with no heat. Temps have been in the low 30s yet they suffered no damage there. I don't know if they'll survive outside in the yard.
My plants are about a foot tall.

The above followup was added by Katie, San Jose on January 19, 2004 at 6:29 pm PST.

I had never noticed this plant before, lots of data online with a google.com search.

I found this one with some warning, so will post this link. Copy and paste the link below to GO.

http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2002/castanospermum-australe.html

Some of the other site had some more colorful picks and had the minimum temp listed.

David

The above followup was added by David, Waterford CA, zone9 on January 19, 2004 at 8:24 pm PST.

I would rate 14°F as wildly optimistic. I used to sell that when I was in retail back in the early eighties, available from either Monrovia or HInes. None survived the '90 frost in Santa Cruz. I think Mildred Mathias' rating of 25°F is as good as you are going to see it do, and I think that is maybe a little low.

Plus, it REALLY, REALLY LIKES HEAT and basically didn't move much in the fog belt. But it is worth a try in the Central Valley if you don't mind seeing it die completely in an Arctic blast.

The best ones are in LA but even there it is rare. The nicest plants I know of are along the patio outside the Huntington Library. It can be very pretty when it is in full bloom. There are other plants around in SoCal but I don't know where.

Last time I was there Kathy Musial said there was no seed to spare, that everyone was after it for its anti-HIV alkaloids and needed them for research.

Anyone seriously interested in showy subtropical trees like this needs to get a copy of the superb book, Color for the Landscape, by Mildred Mathias, published primarily by LASCA back in the seventies. This is one of the best books on ornamental flowering trees, vines, and shrubs ever written. The descriptions are accurate and sober.

The whole ethic was to bring the free, joyous use of color found in the tropics into subtropical and Mediterranean climates. Deserving plants were given a page whether they were rare or not, it was all based on whether or not the plant was colorful and tropical in origin or appearance. So the very common but undeniably beautiful Albizia julibrissin is on page 1 and the stunning but still rare Bauhinia blakeana is on page 2.

You DO NOT want the reprinted version with all the zone 10 plants like Royal Poinciana. The print quality and paper quality are poor and all the plants they added are impossible in California.

The older version copies (first or second printing, I think, 205 pages) are available at quite reasonable prices from Amazon.con on the used market. The later edition had a few more pages added.

At one point I and my former business partner Steve Brigham had EVERY PLANT in the main sections of that book, plus most of the additional listings at the end. It was all crammed into a little backyard in Santa Cruz. Granted many of the species were spindly, gaunt little twigs that thought they had died and gone to that incredibly freezing cold, dark innermost circle of Dante's hell, but at least we could check the name off the list!

Those were the days!

Now if you are REALLY hardcore, and want the epitome of all flowering tree books, then you need to find Flowering Trees of the World by Edwin Meninger, which is much more broad in scope but much less discriminating. In there you can find descriptions of trees that have probably not been brought into cultivation in the US to this day.

This is also available used from Amazon.con. And if you want, he did probably the best book on flowering vines too!

Have fun!

-Luen

The above followup was added by Luen on January 20, 2004 at 4:46 pm PST.

I guess i'll keep my little Castanospermums inside., unless i move down to the warm parts of LA, and buy a house there ;).

They are quite pretty little potted plants anyway! By the way , the plants are being sold cheaply by the Home Depot, just 16 bucks for a pot of three two foot tall seedlings.

It's fascinating the seeds have an anti-HIV quality to them., which i think it the coolest thing about them.

The above followup was added by Barry on January 20, 2004 at 8:29 pm PST.

i had never seen a black bean plant before
but found one at wal mart today. got a pot
of 5 shoots for $9.99 and think this will be a
cool houseplant. hope i can do right by it.
anyone wants to converse about house
plants e-mail me. looking forward to hearing
from unusual plant enthusiasts!

The above followup was added by lynn baker on February 12, 2004 at 3:50 pm PST.

I bought myself a baby castanospermum three years back. I love this plant.
It has survived being attacked by infestations - in which I had to remove it's big seed at the bottom. From then on my mother without my knowing removed my plant outside and forgot to bring her in again when a storm hit. She was knocked over and lost all her soil and for days after that I thought that she was going to die.
Yet (grins) I placed her ontop of my radio and played her Mozart. Ever since then my plant has become a part of my bedroom - spoilt with music and constant attention.
One day I will plant her in my garden and look up at a tree that used to be the size of my hand.

Megan - from South Africa

The above followup was added by Megan Ehrke on April 07, 2004 at 8:39 am PST.

Hi All,

I am writing from Canada. 10 months ago I won a little twig from a gay bingo, took it to work and it is now nearly 2 feet tall. I had no idea it had flowering or bean growing capabilities. I thought the bean at the base was pretty cool. But, our local plant co. that comes thru my office watering all the 'company' plants, recently soaked my plant (it was definitely sitting in excess water as I didn't have to water it for over a week after that) and now one of the beans has rotted. I have since put a sign on it that says 'do not feed me', but I'm worried it may be too late. Either that or the pests I've just noticed on it have killed it, in any case, the bean looks done for. Any suggestions on how I can help it out? It seems to me that the whole plant has slowed down on growing lately. For awhile there it was growing practically right before my eyes. Megan, did you say you had to remove the big bean altogether? So far only the one 'half' has rotted, the other side still looks healthy enough.

The above followup was added by Karen on August 28, 2004 at 2:11 pm PST.

I am looking to purchase seeds for this tree, does anyone know of a source?

Thanks

The above followup was added by Jimmy jin on October 16, 2004 at 7:39 pm PST.

Dear Jimmy
I have a few, how many did you want?

Kindest Regards

The above followup was added by Chris on January 23, 2005 at 8:22 am PST.

Dear Jimmy
I have a few, how many did you want?

Kindest Regards

The above followup was added by Chris on January 23, 2005 at 8:22 am PST.

Dear Jimmy
I have a few, how many did you want?

Kindest Regards

The above followup was added by Chris on January 23, 2005 at 8:23 am PST.

Karen,
I had the same experience that the bean rotted; first one half and then the other and I had to remove them (they came away pretty much in my hands).

Searching online, a number of sites suggest that the bean withers after about 6 months. So I assume that what we saw with our plants was simply normal.

I sympathize with you regarding the well intended over-watering. My colleagues watered mine while I was away and I'm not sure why, but parts of it is shedding leaves like mad!
Good luck with yours,
Vanessa

The above followup was added by Vanessa on August 29, 2005 at 11:54 am PST.