Pseudobombax ellipticum question

[idontknowhatnametuse]

I got a Pseudobombax ellipticum 'pink' from Morelos, the mexican state where it is native, this is the first tree I have bought online, I normally only buy palms online. As you can see it is seed grown (note the base of the plant) it still doesn't push leaves.  Has anyone's pink form pseudobombax pushed leaves yet?

[Silas_Sancona]

28 minutes ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

I got a Pseudobombax ellipticum 'pink' from Morelos, the mexican state where it is native, this is the first tree I have bought online, I normally only buy palms online. As you can see it is seed grown (note the base of the plant) it still doesn't push leaves.  Has anyone's pink form pseudobombax pushed leaves yet?

Growth points on my pair of cutting started " Pinks " are jussttt starting to wake up..  White - flowered form, which i've had -forever-,  is also just beginning to leaf out ..a touch late, but not too far outside of when they typically awaken here. 

Imagine ..because you start seeing higher humidity / rain earlier than i will, if we do at all in a few months this year,  yours should start settling in / putting on a decent amount of new growth / root growth pretty quickly once potted ..or planting ( if that is your goal )

In the  ground, give it room ..or it will make room for itself.  Not a plant for a tight space.

If the plan is to grow it in a pot, at the size it appears to be in the picture, would put in a pot no smaller than something that = a wide 10Gal to give it some room.  

In a container, would recommend a soil mix that is much grittier than what it looks like yours was started in.  85% inorganics like Pumice, Wash / River grit, and / or small Lava cinder ..No fine sand.. and Turface / Seramis.

Only organic content in the soil mix for these?  Coco Peat.   ..Absolutely no Peat Moss.

Being semi- succulent ( why it forms the fat trunk ) once a week soaking thru the warmer months is fine. Little extra won't hurt if it is been really dry but don't let it stay soggy.   No water when it sheds all it's leaves in late fall / is dormant thru the winter  ..Let it sleep.

Might place in a spot where the trunk will get some afternoon shade until it forms enough canopy to shade itself as well since the trunks / skinnier branches on smaller specimens can sunburn pretty easily ( what killed the other white specimen i had ).

Fertilizer? ..2x yearly,  8-2-12 type ratio. These need more K compared to Nitrogen and / or Phosphorus.

[Silas_Sancona]

18 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Growth points on my pair of cutting started " Pinks " are jussttt starting to wake up..  White - flowered form, which i've had -forever-,  is also just beginning to leaf out ..a touch late, but not too far outside of when they typically awaken here. 

Imagine ..because you start seeing higher humidity / rain earlier than i will, if we do at all in a few months this year,  yours should start settling in / putting on a decent amount of new growth / root growth pretty quickly once potted ..or planting ( if that is your goal )

In the  ground, give it room ..or it will make room for itself.  Not a plant for a tight space.

If the plan is to grow it in a pot, at the size it appears to be in the picture, would put in a pot no smaller than something that = a wide 10Gal to give it some room.  

In a container, would recommend a soil mix that is much grittier than what it looks like yours was started in.  85% inorganics like Pumice, Wash / River grit, and / or small Lava cinder ..No fine sand.. and Turface / Seramis.

Only organic content in the soil mix for these?  Coco Peat.   ..Absolutely no Peat Moss.

Being semi- succulent ( why it forms the fat trunk ) once a week soaking thru the warmer months is fine. Little extra won't hurt if it is been really dry but don't let it stay soggy.   No water when it sheds all it's leaves in late fall / is dormant thru the winter  ..Let it sleep.

Might place in a spot where the trunk will get some afternoon shade until it forms enough canopy to shade itself as well since the trunks / skinnier branches on smaller specimens can sunburn pretty easily ( what killed the other white specimen i had ).

Fertilizer? ..2x yearly,  8-2-12 type ratio. These need more K compared to Nitrogen and / or Phosphorus.

Fyi, appears there are numerous specimens growing around Monterrey:  Observations from iNat:


 

[idontknowhatnametuse]

43 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Growth points on my pair of cutting started " Pinks " are jussttt starting to wake up..  White - flowered form, which i've had -forever-,  is also just beginning to leaf out ..a touch late, but not too far outside of when they typically awaken here. 

Imagine ..because you start seeing higher humidity / rain earlier than i will, if we do at all in a few months this year,  yours should start settling in / putting on a decent amount of new growth / root growth pretty quickly once potted ..or planting ( if that is your goal )

In the  ground, give it room ..or it will make room for itself.  Not a plant for a tight space.

If the plan is to grow it in a pot, at the size it appears to be in the picture, would put in a pot no smaller than something that = a wide 10Gal to give it some room.  

In a container, would recommend a soil mix that is much grittier than what it looks like yours was started in.  85% inorganics like Pumice, Wash / River grit, and / or small Lava cinder ..No fine sand.. and Turface / Seramis.

Only organic content in the soil mix for these?  Coco Peat.   ..Absolutely no Peat Moss.

Being semi- succulent ( why it forms the fat trunk ) once a week soaking thru the warmer months is fine. Little extra won't hurt if it is been really dry but don't let it stay soggy.   No water when it sheds all it's leaves in late fall / is dormant thru the winter  ..Let it sleep.

Might place in a spot where the trunk will get some afternoon shade until it forms enough canopy to shade itself as well since the trunks / skinnier branches on smaller specimens can sunburn pretty easily ( what killed the other white specimen i had ).

Fertilizer? ..2x yearly,  8-2-12 type ratio. These need more K compared to Nitrogen and / or Phosphorus.

Thanks, I will plant it outside of my house, where it gets full sun year round. I already have coco peat in my house to plant it tomorrow.

[idontknowhatnametuse]

@Silas_Sancona

Just a question, it normal for it to not have those green marks on its trunk yet? Mine doesn't have any.

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

@Silas_Sancona

Just a question, it normal for it to not have those green marks on its trunk yet? Mine doesn't have any.

Yep, looks normal to me. Should see green skin just below the brownish surface if you scrape i tiny spot lightly. 


If you look at wild / planted specimens posted on iNat  most trunks don't exhibit the fat, cracked green and black- ish  turtle shell - like bark you sometimes see in specimens that are grown in pots and constantly chopped to achieve that look  ...like the shot below, posted on the " Desert Tropicals. com site " .

** Picture credit : Whomever posted it to Desert  Tropicals' site. **


Doing that, ..to achieve that specific look,  often comes with the consequence of no / very few flowers.

Here's a shot of a big specimen in Morelia, Michoacan. Found it on iNat as well ..with seed pods present in the shots of it there.

Many people assume the pink form of the species doesn't form pods / viable seed, but they do.

Note that the while the trunk does have green streaking present, it doesn't exhibit the distinct " Turtle Shell " bark pattern of the Bonsai-ed specimen above.

My potted white flowered specimen has lots of green streaking too, but just a hint of " Turtle Shelling "  Growing it ..and the pink ones ( too small for much of any trunk atm ) for the flowers / maybe seed, eventually.



 

[idontknowhatnametuse]

30 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Yep, looks normal to me. Should see green skin just below the brownish surface if you scrape i tiny spot lightly. 


If you look at wild / planted specimens posted on iNat  most trunks don't exhibit the fat, cracked green and black- ish  turtle shell - like bark you sometimes see in specimens that are grown in pots and constantly chopped to achieve that look  ...like the shot below, posted on the " Desert Tropicals. com site " .

** Picture credit : Whomever posted it to Desert  Tropicals' site. **


Doing that, ..to achieve that specific look,  often comes with the consequence of no / very few flowers.

Here's a shot of a big specimen in Morelia, Michoacan. Found it on iNat as well ..with seed pods present in the shots of it there.

Many people assume the pink form of the species doesn't form pods / viable seed, but they do.

Note that the while the trunk does have green streaking present, it doesn't exhibit the distinct " Turtle Shell " bark pattern of the Bonsai-ed specimen above.

My potted white flowered specimen has lots of green streaking too, but just a hint of " Turtle Shelling "  Growing it ..and the pink ones ( too small for much of any trunk atm ) for the flowers / maybe seed, eventually.



 

Thanks, I thought it was something to worry about and yes they do form seed pods, there's 2 big local ones that form seed pods every spring after flowering.

[Silas_Sancona]

9 minutes ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

Thanks, I thought it was something to worry about and yes they do form seed pods, there's 2 big local ones that form seed pods every spring after flowering.

Nice.. Lucky you, lol.. Seed from any pink flowered specimen are hard to find anywhere in the states. 

If you ever try any off the pictured tree(s) there, seed is very easy to germinate this time of year.

[Silas_Sancona]

@idontknowhatnametuse

A quick update on my " Pink " form pair:

After placing under a large ficus where they get afternoon shade, ..and them not doing much,  moved both over to where i have my white form sitting. Warm,  but shaded by a nearby Bougainvillea in the afternoon, but gets some filtered sun thru 70% shade cloth nearby earlier in the day, then a sliver of sun for ...maybe 45mins... as the sun passes  directly over head.

Seems to have done the trick.

Oddly, it is the ( slightly ) weaker of the pair that decided to push a new leaf first..





Can see how the growth points on a branch of the 2nd specimen are swelling / have a sort of wet look to them.




Arrow in the copied shot of the main branch on the 2nd specimen is pointing to the first leaf it should push out  ..likely over the next week or so.

[idontknowhatnametuse]

On 5/10/2024 at 4:32 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

@idontknowhatnametuse

A quick update on my " Pink " form pair:

After placing under a large ficus where they get afternoon shade, ..and them not doing much,  moved both over to where i have my white form sitting. Warm,  but shaded by a nearby Bougainvillea in the afternoon, but gets some filtered sun thru 70% shade cloth nearby earlier in the day, then a sliver of sun for ...maybe 45mins... as the sun passes  directly over head.

Seems to have done the trick.

Oddly, it is the ( slightly ) weaker of the pair that decided to push a new leaf first..





Can see how the growth points on a branch of the 2nd specimen are swelling / have a sort of wet look to them.




Arrow in the copied shot of the main branch on the 2nd specimen is pointing to the first leaf it should push out  ..likely over the next week or so.

Mine just started making leaves too

[Silas_Sancona]

38 minutes ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

Mine just started making leaves too

If you can, you might squirt the tip in evening  w/ a squirt bottle..  New leaves can sometimes get stuck in a clear, sugary looking discharge that can ooze from the tips as new growth resumes.. Misting helps soften that sappy stuff so leaves will keep pushing out instead of getting stuck / drying out and falling off.  

I do this w/ smaller Plumeria as well as they start pushing new growth to keep emerging new growth from doing the same thing as they wake up from dormancy.  


 Ooze -y stuff is perfectly natural vs. something indicating a sign of some sort of infection to be concerned about.

[Hillizard]

My pink Pseudobombax ellipticum is also just starting to push out new growth. But what has me excited is the emerging flower bud on one of the branch tips. The problem is it's shedding drops of a sweet nectar that local yellow jackets find enticing! You can see one of the drops. I just hope insects don't start chewing on the bud!!! This plant overwinters indoors and still manages to lose branches to die-back each year.

[bubba]

This super wet El Niño has caused many of the generally vibrant specimens to be behind schedule or not as prolific. This particular. Pseudobombax ellipticum/Shaving Brush tree would normally be in full bloom or beyond at this time. I can only assume that our lack of ordinary dry season has created this phenomenon. The temperatures were very mild this year. Please see the pictures:Please see the pictures:

 

Edited May 14 by bubba

[bubba]

Sorry for the multiple shots!

[miamicuse]

I have never seen this turtle shell pattern, very interesting.  Mine has the green streak on the branches and on the roots.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, miamicuse said:

I have never seen this turtle shell pattern, very interesting.  Mine has the green streak on the branches and on the roots.

Specimens allowed to grow to their proper proportions don't always show the same type of bark pattern you can see on severely trimmed / Bonsai-ed specimens.

At the same time, when you constantly chop it to keep small, you may see the neat bark pattern develop, but rarely if ever get flowers..

 

[Austinpalm]

Are these ok with root disturbance.  Just transplanted one from the yard to a pot.  Has about 4-5 feet of 1-inch thick trunk.  Removed the bulb from the ground fine but one of the two tap-roots was broken.  Can I expect this plant to survive or should I be prepared to lose it? Was formerly in full sun. It is now in shade.

[Silas_Sancona]

26 minutes ago, Austinpalm said:

Are these ok with root disturbance.  Just transplanted one from the yard to a pot.  Has about 4-5 feet of 1-inch thick trunk.  Removed the bulb from the ground fine but one of the two tap-roots was broken.  Can I expect this plant to survive or should I be prepared to lose it? Was formerly in full sun. It is now in shade.

From what i recall, even larger specimens can be moved w/ out too much trouble.  That said, if some of the roots were broken during the transplanting process, i'd carefully monitor it to be sure any broken roots heal / don't start rotting.  Rot gets into the Caudex / trunk,  you'll have to lop off the top and treat like a Plumeria cutting..

Would plant in a fairly loose / chunky soil mix and place where it gets lots of bright light ..but no direct sun ...at least until it starts pushing out a good amount of new growth again.

Water just enough that it doesn't totally dry out ..but isn't constantly wet either.

[Austinpalm]

9 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

From what i recall, even larger specimens can be moved w/ out too much trouble.  That said, if some of the roots were broken during the transplanting process, i'd carefully monitor it to be sure any broken roots heal / don't start rotting.  Rot gets into the Caudex / trunk,  you'll have to lop off the top and treat like a Plumeria cutting..

Would plant in a fairly loose / chunky soil mix and place where it gets lots of bright light ..but no direct sun ...at least until it starts pushing out a good amount of new growth again.

Water just enough that it doesn't totally dry out ..but isn't constantly wet either.

Sounds good.  Thanks!!

[miamicuse]

On 5/14/2024 at 5:56 PM, bubba said:

 

Very interesting picture.  In the same picture I see a flower about to open and new emerging leaves.  My Pseudobombax ellipticum drops all it's leaves in Feb, then bloom in March, after all the flowers dropped, and may be weeks later the emerging leaves start to come.  I have never seen one branch pushing new leaves and another branch pushing a flower like yours.

[bubba]

Found another Pseudobombax ellipticum that is substantially larger than the the specimen I originally posted. I did not get the close-up shots that Silas and others did. Like Miamicuse, this specimen has the green chlorophyll located on its trunk/roots. I cannot tell if this is the pink variety:

[bubba]

Closer view of the buds:

[bubba]

The chlorophyll roots:

[bubba]

Shoe for size:

[bubba]

Some more buds:

[bubba]

Updates on several trees as they move forward to ellipting:

[bubba]

[bubba]

[bubba]

[bubba]

[bubba]

[bubba]

I was expecting mind blowing pink flowers but we are at the stage where the leaves are coming back and go from ragged red until they turn green. Presently, it almost looks like fall.

[bubba]

[idontknowhatnametuse]

My pseudobombax is finally waking up

[richtrav]

This is what a stunted one looks like in the wild (east of Jaumave Tamaulipas)

[idontknowhatnametuse]

Does anyone know what could be happening to my Pseudobombax? It has been trying to produce new leaves but apparently they die out and it hasn't produced new leaves since late summer. Nutrient deficiency?

[Silas_Sancona]

3 hours ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

Does anyone know what could be happening to my Pseudobombax? It has been trying to produce new leaves but apparently they die out and it hasn't produced new leaves since late summer. Nutrient deficiency?

Mine do this all the time   ....Produce a nice flush of leaves, then abort some or all of the next set of leaves, esp. this time of year when they're getting ready to drop their leaves and take a nap.

As long as the terminal buds / stems  are plump, green, and healthy looking, the plant will be fine. 

[idontknowhatnametuse]

4 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Mine do this all the time   ....Produce a nice flush of leaves, then abort some or all of the next set of leaves, esp. this time of year when they're getting ready to drop their leaves and take a nap.

As long as the terminal buds / stems  are plump, green, and healthy looking, the plant will be fine. 

Thanks. By the way, do you think this is a white or pink flowered pseudobombax? Seller said it was seed grown from a pink flowered tree but I noticed that all pink flowered trees (at least in my area) have very red new leaves and mine produces orange-ish new leaves.

Pink flowered Pseudobombax

Mine

[Silas_Sancona]

11 minutes ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

Thanks. By the way, do you think this is a white or pink flowered pseudobombax? Seller said it was seed grown from a pink flowered tree but I noticed that all pink flowered trees (at least in my area) have very red new leaves and mine produces orange-ish new leaves.

Pink flowered Pseudobombax

Mine

Tough to say for sure since both of mine produce both the red and orange-ish colored leaves.. 




One of the Pink - flowered, cutting - started plants:  Note the high glossiness of the leaves.








Older, White flowered one i've had  -forever-,  lol..   Fuzz -covered leaves have always left me with a nagging thought it could actually be a different Pseudobombax species, despite being sold as P. ellipticum..  Flowers look right, but i don't recall the leaves on white flowered specimens having fuzz when they're new..

Guess i'll need to find another white seedling to compare to.


Newly opened..



A couple days after the first shot;






Here's a Pink- flowered specimen in my old neighborhood in FL.  When it leafed out, new foliage ran the range from Pinkish, to Blood Red,  to ..almost a bright,  brown-ish Orange.. 















Overall,   If it came from a Pink flowering specimen, 90% sure flowers produced by seedlings off of it should resemble the parent..  That said, leaving a little room for any variability that might occur, since you can never be 100% certain.

Since they can flower small, if it doesn't try to this year,  As long as it isn't super dry, imagine you should get enough growth added this coming year to see it try flowering by next spring.