Dombeya wallichii

From Gardenology.org - Plant Encyclopedia and Gardening Wiki
Revision as of 12:21, 11 February 2009 by Trees (talk | contribs) (copyedit)
Jump to navigationJump to search


Dombeya wallichii


Plant Characteristics
Lifespan: [[Lifespan::Perennial]]
Origin: E Africa, Madagascar
Cultivation
Exposure: Full or part sun"Full or part sun" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water: Regular/High"Regular/High" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.
Features: Flowers, fragrance, leaves"Leaves" is not in the list (evergreen, deciduous, flowers, fragrance, edible, fruit, naturalizes, invasive, foliage, birds, ...) of allowed values for the "Features" property.
Scientific Names

Malvaceae >

Dombeya >

wallichii >


Dombeya wallichii is a fast growing shrub or small tree that can be grown as a large shrub as well. As a tree it can grow to 8 m in height but can be kept smaller by trimming. The leaves are evergreen, 16-20 cm long and 15-25 cm broad, with a 7-17 cm petiole. It looses its leaves in the winter only if the temperature falls below freezing. The flowers are fragrant and come at the beginning of the year, lasting for over 1 month. The pink flowers are about 3 cm across and can have bracts up to 6 cm long and 5 cm broad.

Cultivation

It likes full sun, plenty of water and fertilizer during the growing season. It is a strong grower and even though it is possible to grow it in a container for many years, it will perform better in the ground.

Old flowers remain a long time, and should be removed to keep a neat appearance. Trimming should be done after the flowers are gone in the spring until mid September. It can be trimmed as far back as necessary without harming the tree.

Propagation

Dombeya wallichii can benefit from being divided as the plant develops multiple canes that have a better chance of success than those that grow out of a single trunk as with a tree.

Pests and diseases

Gallery