Robinsonella cordata at Fullerton Arboretum

[fastfeat]

A sure sign that spring has arrived in SoCal is when Robinsonella cordata comes into bloom; this has probably been its most floriferous season to date.

This tree, planted in 2000, is approx 35' tall. It grew rapidly at first, but has slowed considerably since. Wood on this species is soft, and the habit is rather rangy, so it's not really a species that is suited, IMHO, for the average tailored CA garden. It would be best used as park tree or mixed with other trees, shrubs to take over following its rather short big-bang.

Coming from higher elevations in Mexico and Guatemala, it would likely not do well in Florida but should be very good in milder SF Bay area cities.

Propagation of this has been notoriously difficult over the years. This particular tree does set viable seed some years, though it's more commonly done by cuttings now. San Marcos Growers has 15gals available now (from cuttings rooted by Dylan Hannon at The Huntington).

Yellow-flowered tree/shrub to the right is a nearly 30' Tecoma stans var. velutina.

[JasonD]

Wow, it's like a giant Corynabutilon 'Suntense'! My friend Chuck has one in his Oakland Hills garden that's thriving. There's one recently planted in the vicinity of our nursery in a warmer part of San Francisco that went deciduous this winter but has started to leaf out (very young SMG plant). There's one at SF Botanical Garden (in a chillier part of SF) that was planted in a cold pocket and probably won't make it long term.