Albizia 'Summer Chocolate'
This is my 'standard variety' Albizia julibrissin with just a few scattered flower clusters - after some heavy pruning last spring.
The following thread was started by Vlad Pomajzl, Saltspring on August 25, 2008 at 10:05 pm PST
Will probably break down and pay
So does this mean you bought one Vlad? :-)
Does Russel Farms have a good selection of interesting plants?
It's nice that you got some flowers at least. Mine is blooming now too and looks quite nice.
The above followup was added by Linda Denman Island, BC 8b on August 26, 2008 at 7:38 am PST.
I don't have a good site at this point for another Albizia (sun, lots of room, visibility from access road or the house) but will find something next year.
I bought instead a nice Olive 'Arbequina', loaded with olives, for $ 15. Had to convince them it was a fruit tree so I did not have to pay taxes. I stop by the store once a week on the way home from office to buy fresh veggies and, sometimes, plants as well. Periodically they bring in interesting plants plus most of their common plants are well maintained. Although the nursery tends to be expensive, they have discount sale of 30 % for many plants now and you can probably pick up the Albizia for $60. But I don't think the 'fruit tree' trick will work - lol.
They have a few different Eucalyptus trees, fairly large Clerodendrum trichotomum (this one is very rare around here) bananas (Musa, Ensette), lots of nice perennials, vines, garden accessories etc. If you visit in mid-September, notice the incredible, rare Heptacodium miconioides in full bloom near the entrance. I have one in part shade and it looks or blooms nothing like this one.
The above followup was added by Vlad Pomajzl, Saltspring on August 26, 2008 at 8:18 am PST.
Thanks for the info Vlad. Seems like it's worth visiting if I'm down that way and have the time. I wouldn't mind getting that Clerodendrum, but I don't know where I'd put it at this point. I have the smaller C. bungei.
I actually have two Hepatacodiums. I love this tree, especially the fragrant flowers in the fall, although it does like water in the summer. I get a lot of flowers, so I wonder if you would too if yours was in full sun. Interestingly, the second Heptacodium came from my own garden. I was surprised to find one last year some distance from the main tree. It's not commonly grown around here either.
The above followup was added by Linda Denman Island, BC 8b on August 26, 2008 at 8:49 am PST.
But I have to say this one last time!
I still have some Albizia 'Summer Chocolate' for sale for US, 3' tall for $40.00. NO kidding!
360-956-3660
If they don't sale I will have to give them away to a few houses around me. LOL! I'm crazy enough to do it.
I do have some great neighbors.
The above followup was added by Roger from Olympia on August 26, 2008 at 11:13 am PST.
Too bad moving plants across the border is so complicated. They sure don't have the same problem in Europe, at least not within the EU. I'd buy one from you right away.
The above followup was added by Vlad Pomajzl, Saltspring on August 26, 2008 at 11:34 am PST.
This Clerodendrum is quite different from C. bungei. Blooms late, it is very fragrant and seeds are quite ornamental. Common in southern Europe so it does best in full sun. It can be kept to any shape and size. It suckers, so you can grow it as a bush, or remove the suckers and shape it as a small tree. Unlike Albizia, it blooms on the current year's growth so it can be pruned early in the spring and still bloom by September. Mine is about to start blooming. Again, because it is in part shade here, it is probably slower to bloom than on sites exposed to full sun:
The above followup was added by Vlad Pomajzl, Saltspring on August 26, 2008 at 11:43 am PST.
I started my tree from a cutting several years ago and it is now about 7ft in height. It was headed back last spring and I also removed two or three suckers:
The above followup was added by Vlad Pomajzl, Saltspring on August 26, 2008 at 11:45 am PST.
If you like to take a gamble I could seen you one in Dec. when mailing is busy. It work for Linda, and you could pay me when it comes in the mail. Remind me in Dec. thats when they will also be ready to ship. The ones I have have really nice dark coloring. The trunks have almost double in thickness this summer.
The above followup was added by Roger from Olympia on August 26, 2008 at 11:46 am PST.
Thanks Roger. Let's try it. I should have a site for it ready for it by next spring. I will call early in December.
The above followup was added by Vlad Pomajzl, Saltspring on August 26, 2008 at 11:59 am PST.
Thanks Roger. Let's try it. I should have a site for it ready for it by next spring. I will call early in December.
The above followup was added by Vlad Pomajzl, Saltspring on August 26, 2008 at 11:59 am PST.
nm
The above followup was added by Roger from Olympia on August 26, 2008 at 12:06 am PST.
Has anybody seen that new variegated Clerodendron sp.?..just out to the trade at local bay area nurserys. The latin name escapes me.
Would any Berkeley type people know about it?
The above followup was added by stan on August 26, 2008 at 12:23 am PST.
Hey Roger, did I ever ask you if I could trade one for something? I probably ought to get one... LOL.
The above followup was added by Ian on August 26, 2008 at 4:49 pm PST.
Ian when will you return to Olympia to p/u? Sept. or Oct. I have lots of container for you.
I also like to get a few plants from you.
And, you have to see my new tree fern. Largest in Olympia, and in the top 10 in the state.
The above followup was added by Roger from Olympia on August 26, 2008 at 5:07 pm PST.
I've hardly been there all summer, but I will actually be there quite a bit in September and October. I have to get a lot of cuttings from my parents' garden and will make multiple trips to do it. Not that I couldn't collect everything in one trip, but then it would take me weeks to get them all into the rooting media, during which time they would lose their viability. This was a major problem for me last year.
The tree fern sound cool. Is it bigger than mine? Mine must have at least 2' of trunk right now. I bet mine has more biomass in the root zone... LOL. It's been in the ground in one spot for 11 years.
The above followup was added by Ian on August 26, 2008 at 6:04 pm PST.
Was imported from Tasmania and its a big one. Three time the size of yours and a huge "biomass" trunk. This one came from a logging cite and was imported. Its some where between 200 and 350 years old. Maybe older if the bottom trunk was dieing and cut off. Took three people to pull in a hand cart. Back breaking actually.
I offer smaller one for sale a while back, but they are not that cheep, and come in many sizes. I can still get some more if anyone wants to fork out the bucks! LOL! So you see you have to come over.
The above followup was added by Roger in Olympia on August 27, 2008 at 10:46 am PST.
I didn't realize that it could be kept as a shrub. The ones I've seen were fairly large trees. Thanks for the info/pic Vlad. I would like to get one, although I still don't know where I'd put it. ;-) I'm running out of room in the area that's protected from the deer.
The above followup was added by Linda Denman Island, BC 8b on August 27, 2008 at 2:32 pm PST.
Linda, I was picking up the 'Summer Chocolate' for someone and noticed they had several (5ft) Clerodendrum trichotomum trees for about $32 each. They looked good but no flowers. I think they have a 15% discount.
The above followup was added by Vlad Pomajzl, Saltspring on August 27, 2008 at 6:49 pm PST.
Thanks Vlad. I don't think I will be going down that way anytime soon, but it's good to know they have them. I've seen them at a nursery in Courtenay before, but they were pretty big trees and quite expensive.
The above followup was added by Linda Denman Island, BC 8b on August 28, 2008 at 7:52 am PST.
I've got a couple of the variegated leaf form of this shrub that are going on 5 years old now, and are currently in full bloom. It is a bit smaller leafed than the larger tree sized form of the straight species, but this one also has some forms that grow more like trees, and others that stay more shrub like. I originally got these plants as small 4 inch rooted cuttings from Heronswood Nursery on a visit to Seattle.
The variegated 'Harlequin' form is more shrub-like for me, and stayed relatively small as a container plant for the first 4 years, and is only now taking off and becoming more tree-like. This form doesn't seem to be particularly fragrant in bloom, but does set good crops of the typical blue berries with bright red calyx. It greatly resented being treated as a container plant that suffered a bit of drought stress between near daily summer watering, and would get burnt leaf edges as a result. Since it has now been planted into the ground the leaves have doubled in size and no burnt leaf edges. The plant does spread by root runners, (they are not variegated, however), and also self-sows from seed,(also straight green leaf form). I've seen a couple planted around town as street trees, growing to about 15 feet tall, but they tend to look their best locally if used in semi-shade as an understory tree/shrub.
Is it just me, or does anyone else note that the foliage smells awful, and tends to overpower the alleged bloom fragrance? A nearby Clerodendrum phillipinum is much the same for foul smelling foliage, but is very fragrant when blooming.
The above followup was added by bahia on August 28, 2008 at 10:53 am PST.
Can't smell the foliage at a distance but they sure smell funny when crushed or rubbed. Similar to another plant I used to have: Vestia foetida. Perhaps this is why they have never been damaged by deer.
The above followup was added by Vlad Pomajzl, Saltspring on August 28, 2008 at 6:05 pm PST.