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Hardiness: USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F) USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F) USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun Sun to Partial Shade Light Shade
Danger: N/A
Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Time: Mid Spring
Foliage: Deciduous
Other details: Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings
Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
On May 20, 2008, JuniorMintKiss from Tremonton, UT wrote:
I just barely identified this tree at my place and I'm glad I did because now I can call it something else besides my umbrella tree. ;)
Seriously, this tree is a delight to have. It does extremely well in our sandy soil and the flowers are so delicate and beautiful. Easy to maintain. If I had it my way, I'd have some more...
On Feb 9, 2008, snowleopard77 from Apex, NC wrote:
I planted 2 of these in my garden. They were about 5 ft tall when I bought them and this will be the first year they will bloom so I am waiting to see what they look like and they have grown allot in 1 full season
Here in Seattle, my tree has grown well but the wood is brittle and prone to breaking if we have wet, windy weather. Compounding the problem is how tight the tree crotches grow, holding moisture and causing rot. At 6 years old and approx. 15 feet high, it's been held together with straps and Gorilla Glue for the last two years since splitting in half to a foot about the ground. I would site this tree out of windy areas, and prune for trunk strength as well as to lighten the leaf canopy. Also, fall color varies but most often the leaf color is an ugly maroon-brown with sickly yellow patches.
On Jan 28, 2006, rcn48 from Lexington, VA (Zone 6a) wrote:
Originally found as a seedling in 1947 at Forest Nursery, McMinnville, TN. Spectacular shimmering red-purple foliage loses its intense color by mid summer. Flowers are a more intense rose-purple and a little later blooming than the species. Vigorous grower! The picture posted is of a young tree planted a year and a half ago. It will double in size in just a couple years. Maximum height will reach about 20-30' high.
From Michael Dirr's Manual of Woody Landscape Plants:
"One of my favorites for colored foliage and I do not rate too many purple leaf plants among my top 1000"
On May 23, 2005, DiOhio from Corning, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
This tree can be fairly invasive. I have seedlings coming up in all of my flowerbeds. It has a taproot to China even as a very young tree so if you don't pull first year seedlings they're very difficult to remove. With that said, it is still one of my favorite trees. They are beautiful blooming in the spring, have lovely heart-shaped foliage all summer long and are also host plant to many different species of moth.
On Mar 24, 2005, drdon from Temecula, CA (Zone 8b) wrote:
This small tree has been fairly rewarding here. We give the two we have a bit of midday shade under a Southern Magnolia. Leaves have a tendency to burn at the margins during conditions of high winds combined with low humidity. It has shown itself as a sturdy plant even in our extreme summer heat.