Hymenosporum
( hye - men - oh - SPOR - um )
At-A-Glance Information
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This species of evergreen trees and shrubs, commonly called Sweetshade or Native Frangipani, needs full sun to light shade and moderate water to perform well. They are graceful, upright trees in their native Australian landscape, reaching 12-40 feet tall and 9-20 feet wide. They can also be maintained as shrubs with regular prunings. Leaves are glossy and dark green, and summertime fragrant flowers are cream and age to yellow. These trees need constant pinching and training in their youth to form a more bushy, strong habit. Untrained, they have weak crotches and a tendency to break off. Sweetshade trees grow best in zones 8, 9, and 14-24 (to find your zone, click here: Zone Map).
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Caring for and pruning hymenosporum
Hymenosporum shrubs and trees are best planted in full sun; this exposure will encourage the most profuse flowering and promote lush foliage growth. They can tolerate some light shade, especially when young and when grown in warmer climates. Afternoon protection may be necessary if temperatures and sunlight are extreme. Plant shrubs between 6.5 and 9 feet apart for best coverage and airflow if growing as a hedge. Protect from strong winds that can damage branches. These trees prefer well-draining loamy, rich soil that is slightly acidic to neutral (with a pH of between 6.0 and 7.5). If soil is heavy clay or very compacted, amend planting site with plenty of sand and organic material before installation. Although these shrubs and trees are considered to be drought-tolerant when established, they do benefit from regular deep waterings during the warm season. They will produce the best flowers and foliage if given consistent moisture during this time.
Pruning Hymenosporum trees is simple; they take a handsome natural shape and only needs to be pruned occasionally to maintain a desired shape or size. Plants grown as hedges will need to be pruned on a regular basis to keep their shape. If growing Hymenosporum as a tree, prune heavily when young to establish a strong central leader. These trees can develop weak crotches, so this is a very important step in maintaining a healthy tree. Remove spent flower heads and dead, damaged, or diseased foliage as needed. The best time to carry out prunings for these trees is in late winter to early springtime. Avoid over-pruning, as this can reduce the natural beauty of these plants and increase stress and the potential for disease to take hold. These plants benefit from a yearly springtime application of organic compost around their base. If plants seem to be struggling, apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in springtime to support the season's growth and flowering.
Pruning Hymenosporum trees is simple; they take a handsome natural shape and only needs to be pruned occasionally to maintain a desired shape or size. Plants grown as hedges will need to be pruned on a regular basis to keep their shape. If growing Hymenosporum as a tree, prune heavily when young to establish a strong central leader. These trees can develop weak crotches, so this is a very important step in maintaining a healthy tree. Remove spent flower heads and dead, damaged, or diseased foliage as needed. The best time to carry out prunings for these trees is in late winter to early springtime. Avoid over-pruning, as this can reduce the natural beauty of these plants and increase stress and the potential for disease to take hold. These plants benefit from a yearly springtime application of organic compost around their base. If plants seem to be struggling, apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in springtime to support the season's growth and flowering.
Propagation
Hymenosporum can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your tree or shrub, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Hymenosporum by Cutting
Propagating Hymenosporum by Seed
Propagating Hymenosporum by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
Propagating Hymenosporum by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're large and dangle from the branches, left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Hymenosporum seed pods are filled with many flattened seeds which are released in fall.
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Hymenosporum seeds are light brown to reddish-brown, flattened and have a crinkly appearance.
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Problems and Pests
These trees and shrubs are generally pest and disease free, but can be susceptible to developing issues with the following in certain circumstances:
- Scale Insects
- Frangipani Rust
- Downy Mildew
- Powdery Mildew
Gallery
Hymenosporum plants can be used as hedge shrubs.
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These trees and shrubs produce beautiful, fragrant flowers.
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Hymenosporum plants can form trees that reach up to 40 feet tall when mature.
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Videos
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All about Sweetshade trees.
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Learn about these amazing fragrant trees.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 369, Hymenosporum flavum (Sweetshade)
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