Chitalpa
X Chitalpa tashkentensis
Family: | Bignoniaceae (big-no-nih-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | X Chitalpa (ky-TAL-puh) (Info) |
Species: | tashkentensis (tosh-ken-TEN-sis) (Info) |
Category:
Trees
Water Requirements:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Foliage:
Deciduous
Foliage Color:
Height:
15-20 ft. (4.7-6 m)
20-30 ft. (6-9 m)
Spacing:
20-30 ft. (6-9 m)
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)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Where to Grow:
Danger:
N/A
Bloom Color:
Pink
Lavender
White/Near White
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Late Spring/Early Summer
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
From softwood cuttings
Seed Collecting:
N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Golden Valley, Arizona(2 reports)
Kirkland, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona(2 reports)
Atascadero, California
Bonsall, California
Fallbrook, California(5 reports)
Hayward, California
Inyokern, California
Lakeside, California
Los Banos, California
Manteca, California
Merced, California
Pearsonville, California
San Diego, California
San Jose, California
Visalia, California
Wildomar, California
Grand Junction, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Jacksonville, Florida
Covington, Georgia
Kuna, Idaho
Olathe, Kansas
Port Republic, Maryland
Las Vegas, Nevada(3 reports)
Pahrump, Nevada
Albuquerque, New Mexico(2 reports)
Alcalde, New Mexico
La Luz, New Mexico
Socorro, New Mexico
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Arlington, Texas
El Paso, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Orem, Utah
Springville, Utah
Lexington, Virginia
Concrete, Washington
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Neutral | On Aug 9, 2020, Pjxcooper from Salt Lake City, UT wrote: I bought this tree from a nursery at about 7’ tall. It looked really beautiful the first year and flowered as expected. After winter it looked dead for months. I left it there because birds landed on it a lot. Then little growth started at the very bottom. A lot of them. Now it has about ten stems with a few over 6’ tall. Some stand up and some fall over. It doesn’t look like a tree at all and I don’t know what to do. It’s August and still hasn’t flowered. What should I do? |
Positive | On Oct 16, 2015, Bearcreekfarm from Covington, GA wrote: I have one that is 20 years old that grew itself out of a 3g pot that sat from my parents nursery of rare and unusual plants. It has never had anything done for it. It grew in the shade of a pjne tree until a couple years ago when the pine was cut down. I thought it was a prunus root stock until it flowered on one limb in mid summer here outside of Atlanta Ga. It now sits among blueberry bushes and you can be sure I will propagate it! |
Positive | On Dec 23, 2014, ggia from Bakersfield, CA wrote: A mature, stately specimen of X Chitalpa tashkentensis is planted on the grounds of Mountain Gardens Nursery, 503 South Curry St, Tehachapi, CA 93561. Owners are happy with the tree. |
Positive | On Sep 3, 2014, southeastgarden from Jacksonville, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: I read repeatedly that this is not a plant for the southeastern U.S. I agree that is is not a carefree landscape plant here but I have great success with it in sandy soil in hot, open parking lots in north Florida. It is a good size for parking lot islands and it loves the reflected heat. My parking lot plantings flower all summer long and never have serious fungal problems. |
Positive | On Aug 3, 2014, Gubfunckel_C27 from Staplehurst, Love this tree, been in my garden for 11 years and still growing, it was a 5foot tall spindly tree when we got it, it has been reduced in width over the years and now stands about 15feet tall and 20 foot wide |
Neutral | On Jun 23, 2014, bobbieberecz from Concrete, WA wrote: I saw this tree in Mendocino, CA about 8 years ago and fell in love with the beautiful flowers. It was in a protected open air atrium of a bed and breakfast. I went right home and found the "Pink Cloud" tree at a local nursery in the northwest corner of Washington state. I had read it was drought tolerant once established so was careless of watering. It's near a stand of water-hogging cottonwoods and to it's credit, and none to mine, this tough little plant has endured the severest of hardships. Blistering heat for 6 weeks with barely a drop of water; flooding winter rains and 4 feet of snow; record breaking freezing spell for this state and still it has come back each year. Granted there has only been one insignificant bloom and it hasn't grown in 8 years more than a few inches, b... read more |
Neutral | On Mar 3, 2014, coriaceous from ROSLINDALE, MA wrote: The only specimen at the Arnold Arboretum, Boston MA (Z6a) did not live to maturity. Perhaps due to inadequate hardiness, perhaps due to too much precipitation, perhaps due to low soil pH, or perhaps due to the disease problem mentioned below. |
Positive | On Oct 6, 2013, Herb3 from Victoria, B.C.,, The first one I ever saw is in Victoria,B.C. - at the south end of the most northerly section of Shakespeare Street. It took my attention because it was covered in flowers so late in the summer. I don't know how old it is, but it's quite big - my guess is it's at least 25 feet high and as wide. |
Neutral | On Aug 3, 2013, spencertoo from Norman, OK wrote: There are so many wonderful traits about the Chitalpa. It is a tree I would be interested in planting. I began to look into it and have been researching info on the Chitalpa’s history, care and maintenance and susceptibility to disease. An unfortunate finding is the emergence of a disease that is found in this tree. |
Positive | On Jul 21, 2013, LazyGardens from Phoenix, AZ wrote: "I have them on drip irrigation, and water them two hours per day. |
Positive | On Jun 27, 2013, Max64 from Las Vegas, NV (Zone 9a) wrote: I love mine. I thrives real well. I see many in Vegas where I live but unfortunately they are all very leggy, I prune mine usually before the winter or before the growing season (about 1/3) and it always comes back much fuller and denser looking. I end up doing all my neighbors Chitalpa trees after they saw mine become so fuller. It gives plenty of shade because of it. Growth is fast too when pruned. Trunk looks good with barely a few tiny vertical cracks which are hardly noticeable. It sits on the same drip system as my other plants and gets plenty of water in the heat of the summer. It also loves fertilizer. Year after year it grows healthy, full/dense and lots of flowers. Last but not least, every year just before the growing season I use an annual tree insect control. Bonide or Bayer. ... read more |
Neutral | On May 28, 2011, lysis from Scottsdale, AZ wrote: This plant is literally all over Las Vegas. Doesn't provide any shade, but the flowers are pretty, and slightly smaller than it's desert willow ancestor. Leaves look similar to oleander leaves, but sparse. I've been told that the tree isn't as hardy as one would think in the extreme heat of the desert, but the speciments that I've seen appear otherwise. |
Negative | On May 6, 2011, bryum from Las Vegas, NV wrote: I have a 10 year old plant in my yard. Every summer the leaves start out looking nice, but then turn brown and crispy on the edges from July to November. Also, after a few years, the bark slips off the trunk. Won't be long til mine is dead, and I see the same thing happening all over Las Vegas. This is a short lived unhealthy looking tree. A few years ago this tree was every landscaper's dream. Now it is shunned by all the top arborists and landscapers. |
Positive | On Feb 12, 2011, Lobo99 from Alcalde, NM wrote: 2 years ago I planted 4 trees in the high desert of northern New Mexico (el. 5700'). They seem to do well with light irrigation, but there was some die-back from frost damage, with re-growth from the roots every spring, making it more of a multi-branched tree. |
Positive | On Dec 15, 2009, ginnydrake from Escondido, CA wrote: Planted a 4 year old, 36" boxed pink Chitalpa this past August. Hummingbirds accompanied the tree as it moved from the street to its new home. Lovely flowers, gracious-looking tree. It's December here in north San Diego County, and it hasn't lost its leaves yet. Wonder if it will? Experienced no transplant shock, unlike the Albizia julibrissin planted at the same time. Looking forward to its dappled shade, hummingbirds and wide canopy as time passes.One question - do I stop watering in the winter or just reduce the amount of water needed??? |
Positive | On Jul 15, 2009, Marcyphish from Golden Valley, These trees are very drought tolerant once established. They make a great shade tree for the high desert! |
Positive | On Jun 14, 2008, valygirl from Grand Junction, CO wrote: These wonderful trees & shrubs are thriving in our xeriscaped yard in Grand Junction, CO. They will die if you give them too much water!! We completely cut off the drip system after one year & only water them by hand about every 3 weeks. After Labor Day, completely stop all water & absolutely DO NOT winter water. |
Negative | On May 20, 2008, dbernsten from Ridgecrest, CA wrote: I had five of these plants planted five years ago in my front yard. They must be the only Chitalpas in the city not in bloom. The leaves are sparse, small and deformed. |
Positive | On Nov 19, 2005, betsycooper1 from Prescott Valley, AZ wrote: We have two and love them - so do the hummingbirds. Will add one more in spring. .. Prescott is mile-high dry with temps from-15f to 115f and poor clay-like soil so they grow slow but flower well with no damage to patios or walks. Perfect for planting in or near flower beds. No seeds - this hybrid is sterile. |
Positive | On Jun 15, 2005, rweiler from Albuquerque, NM wrote: This is a fantastic choice for the Desert Southwest Zones 7-8. They are all over Albuquerque. Here there is no worry about mildew and when established they love the heat and are drought tolerant. If you can grow Desert Willows definitely try these! Like Desert Willows they can be multi-branched and shrublike or can be easily trained/pruned to be more standard-like and grow 20-25 feet. They start to bloom early summer here and are profuse bloomers. They do not shed their flowers and leave the mess that Catalpas do. Super tree! |
Positive | On May 2, 2005, ladyannne from Merced, CA (Zone 9a) wrote: Another highlight of the east side garden. Its spring blossoms, besides being breathtaking, attract birds, bees, hummers and June bugs. The natural, sprawling, artful limbs are a work of art, holding at about twenty feet tall and fifteen feet wide. I used some cuttings to hold up tomatoes and ended up with more chitalpa trees after the tomatoes were spent. Within two years, the trees are too large for even the largest of pots. |
Negative | On Oct 30, 2004, saltcedar from Austin, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: Don't try this one east Fredricksburg Texas. The humidity will cause anthacnose fungus to turn your tree and lawn beneath |
Positive | On Sep 6, 2003, Terry from Murfreesboro, TN (Zone 7a) wrote: In 1964, a hybridizer in Uzbekistan crossed the Chilopsis linearis and Catalpa bignoides, giving rise to the Chitalpa Tree, which wasn't officially christened until 1991, when the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden gave it its name. The flowers are sterile and dry on the plant, eliminating the need to clean up messy seed pods. |