Tropical Tree in San Antonio ID?

[ChrisA]

So I was driving in the neighborhood yesterday and saw this very tropical looking tree that has very ferny/legume-like foliage - similar to Delonix regia or Senegalia berlandieri- but is very large and has very rough bark.  From what I can tell on street view it was planted as a large sized (box) tree in either 2012 or 2013. It had an absolutely great form and suffered no noticeable die-back until the storm that dare not speak its name whacked it back in 2021. Even so, a large portion of the very thick trunk survived and the tree has grown back remarkably well.

 

Only question I have is what is it?!

 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 12/2/2024 at 11:05 PM, ChrisA said:

So I was driving in the neighborhood yesterday and saw this very tropical looking tree that has very ferny/legume-like foliage - similar to Delonix regia or Senegalia berlandieri- but is very large and has very rough bark.  From what I can tell on street view it was planted as a large sized (box) tree in either 2012 or 2013. It had an absolutely great form and suffered no noticeable die-back until the storm that dare not speak its name whacked it back in 2021. Even so, a large portion of the very thick trunk survived and the tree has grown back remarkably well.

 

Only question I have is what is it?!

 

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Leucanea pulverulenta

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/164645-Leucaena-pulverulenta

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/164645-Leucaena-pulverulenta/browse_photos

[ChrisA]

Thank you Nathan,

 

I was wondering if that was what it was, but I had no idea their trunks go so rough.  Thanks for the links to iNat as well!

 

Here is a photo from October 2018 for reference.

 

Cheers,

Chris

Edited December 3, 2024 by ChrisA
Add photo

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 12/3/2024 at 12:37 AM, ChrisA said:

Thank you Nathan,

 

I was wondering if that was what it was, but I had no idea their trunks go so rough.  Thanks for the links to iNat as well!

 

Here is a photo from October 2018 for reference.

 

Cheers,

Chris

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  It seems like it is a far better looking tree than it's weedy as H--- cousin that pops up just about everywhere here, Leucanea leucocephala..

Appears ( in photos at least )  it might not produce pods as heavily as leucocephala as well. 

[ChrisA]

Agreed! I'm wondering where they bought it from. I've never seen one for sale at the local nurseries. I've only seen it for sale down in the Lower RGV.

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 12/4/2024 at 8:57 PM, ChrisA said:

Agreed! I'm wondering where they bought it from. I've never seen one for sale at the local nurseries. I've only seen it for sale down in the Lower RGV.

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If not offered locally, even if by accidental chance, imagine your hunch ( ..about it being purchased / transported from down south ) is correct.. Trips to pick up stuff in Tucson or CA is often how a lot of the interesting stuff seen in forward thinking yards / landscapes here ends up here.

That or started from seed ..which should be pretty easy for these, esp. if as care free about germinating any and everywhere as L. leucocephala is..

Have seen 15gal sized specimens of another, wider -leaved Leucaena sp ( L. lanceolata = Southern Sonora to Chiapas ) offered at a nursery in Tucson from time to time, but no larger specimens yet.

[richtrav]

It comes up everywhere around here (it’s native so no surprise), but unfortunately it tends to die when it gets large, it isn’t Tipuana. You can see an occasional hybrid with L. leucocephala down here, they’re not that hard to spot since they usually look more like leucocephala but did much better in the ‘21 freeze. You used to see some beautiful tropical ones in the odd yard, presumably from someone who brought back some seeds from farther south. Can’t say I’ve seen any since ‘21, they only lived a few years anyways and tended to be large shrubs. Dr Peter Felker used to work with a number of Leucaena back about 30-35 years ago when he was at A&M Kingsville (A&I back then).