x Chitalpa
( kye - tal - puh )
At-A-Glance InformationThis hybrid deciduous small tree needs full sun and little to moderate amounts of water for best performance. It produces flowers that will attract hummingbirds to your garden, and rapidly reaches 20-30 feet tall. Flowers bloom in clusters in pink, white or mauve and blossom from late spring through fall. These trees will frequently drop spent blooms and leaves in summertime, so they can be a bit messy to clean up after. Use these drought-resistant trees as street trees, specimens, hedge plants or as parking lot trees.
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x Chitalpa varieties
The intrageneric hybrid x Chitalpa is a cross between Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) and various Catalpa species (depending on the variety). These trees were created by A. Rusanov (Botanic Garden of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences) of Uzbekistan, and brought to the United States in the late 1970s. x Chitalpa trees grow best in zones 3-24 (to find your zone, click here: Zone Map).
Caring for and pruning x chitalpa Trees
These popular hybrid trees prefer full sun exposure, needing at least 6 hours of direct sun each day for the best flowering and foliage growth. Avoid planting these trees in shade, as this can lead to leggy growth and less flowering. Ensure that soil is very well-draining before installing. These trees can tolerate a wide variety of soil types, including sand, loam, and clay, but absolutely cannot have any standing water around their root systems, which quickly leads to root rot. Apply a layer of mulch 2-3 inches thick around the base of the tree after installation to suppress weed growth, maintain soil moisture, and regulate soil temperatures. Water young or newly installed trees regularly during the first few seasons so that the tree builds a strong root system. At maturity, Chitalpas are drought-tolerant superstars, able to survive on precipitation alone. To avoid damage, provide infrequent deep waterings during long periods of drought and high temperatures. These trees prefer dry climates with low to moderate humidity; good air circulation is key to prevent fungal disease from taking hold.
Pruning is simple for these trees, and they bounce back well. In late winter or early springtime before new growth pushes out for the year, prune to shape and remove errant, diseased, or dead branches. These trees grow quickly, and gardeners may wish to prune for size, as well, from time to time. Remove spent flowers to encourage more blooms in the same year. These trees typically form broad, spreading canopies that make them great shade trees for small spaces. There is no need to fertilize Chitalpa trees; simply apply a dressing of compost once a year in spring to support the year's growth and flowering, and these trees will thrive.
Pruning is simple for these trees, and they bounce back well. In late winter or early springtime before new growth pushes out for the year, prune to shape and remove errant, diseased, or dead branches. These trees grow quickly, and gardeners may wish to prune for size, as well, from time to time. Remove spent flowers to encourage more blooms in the same year. These trees typically form broad, spreading canopies that make them great shade trees for small spaces. There is no need to fertilize Chitalpa trees; simply apply a dressing of compost once a year in spring to support the year's growth and flowering, and these trees will thrive.
Propagation
Chitalpa hybrid trees do not produce fruits, so they must be propagated asexually. To propagate your tree, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Chitalpa by Cutting
Propagating Chitalpa 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. Strip one or more 4- to 7-inch greenwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch, leaving a messy 'heel' of bark and tissue at the base of the cutting. This is where roots will form. Strip leaves off of the bottom 2/3 of the cutting. 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.
Problems and Pests
Although these trees are considered pest and disease-tolerant, they can occasionally suffer from the following:
- Powdery Mildew
- Xylella fastidiosa
- Anthracnose
- Root Rot
- Leaf Blight
- Verticillium Wilt
Gallery
Videos
Check out these versatile trees.
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All about these drought-tolerant flowering beauties.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 240, x Chitalpa tashkentensis
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