thanks for the replies.. the tree bears no fruit -- just flowers. well, no fruit that i know of...perhaps very small berry type if any at all? birds do seem to like the tree photo of tree is in link below. Here is a link that might be useful:

Thank you tussy mussy for the reference. As I have none of the problems referred to in the leaf drop comments, I think it must be a cultural problem. My soil is about 6.5 PH and my tree is in the lawn next to my patio. Blooming starts about memorial day the end of May and continues non stop until the fall leaf drop, which is my ONLY leaf drop. My tree is not too large but I do prune it back fairly hard every year because my electric service to the house is directly over the tree. Originally I had another Chitalpa planted in in the garden but I removed it because it shaded an area needing more sun. My current tree is started from a cutting of that tree. Al

Hi guys! Sorry I've not been around lately - been a busy Summer. Shortly, will be heading to the Northeast for a coupla weeks to experience REAL summer!... For comparison, it's been hovering around 64F all season in my part of SF with intermittent fog and sun and CONSTANT breeze/wind, so looking forward to some warmth in the Hudson Valley! Mike, interesting question you pose (and again, gorgeous trees!!!)! (As you know), I'm trying to grow both in-ground and potted citrus. It started I would say, after a visit to Hearst Castle and seeing how Mr. Hearst himself grew a variety of citrus for their ornamental value. A bit of research led me to identify the Meyer as the ideal citrus to grow here, so I planted 3 on the right side of my driveway - I also figured they'd eventually serve good wind-screens. The 1 potted Meyer I have was a rescue that then became an experiment. I wanted to see how it did in the 511 mix AND on a much cooler-summer + wind-exposed (but very well lit - approx. 12 hrs sun(!) - area. I can't yet tell you if there's a difference in fruiting/flavor with these, but I hope to get back to you in a few years. What I can tell you is that wind is definitely a factor, since the potted Meyer in an exposed location has much less healthy looking (smaller, slightly curled) leaves. I may yet be forced to try to grow this Meyer year-round in the house(!). My 4 other citrus are also experiments, you could say. Trovita orange/Cara Cara orange: In-ground and both planted in the same planting hole, since I read this is possible AND I'm out of garden space to plant. In the sunniest part of the garden, but also most exposed to cold summer winds! Orange supposedly cannot grow in SF so am giving it a try to see. Both Cara Cara & Trovita hang long on the tree and need less warmth to ripen they say, so we'll see. Gold Nugget mandarin: In-ground. Mandarins are rumored to grow here, and I LOVE the taste of GN's! Bearss lime: Latest (and hopefully last!) acquisition - thanks for the recommendation, jkom(!). Potted in regular potting soil with wicks; resides indoors. Am testing my NE/SW facing window to see if it can sustain citrus indoors year-round. I'm also seeing how well the wick system does as compared to 511/gritty mix. So what basically started off as passing interest has morphed into a little obsession (and a bit of experimenting). But I'm sure none of you can relate... :-) Cheers, Tim

Entling, after reading about Pagoda dogwood I was smitten. Beautiful form and nice flowers and berries. I ordered 40 native seedlings from a nursery in NH, including 10 Cornus alternifolia. But these are going to be little baby 1-2 year old seedlings! I'm impatient and want to buy something that's already 6 feet tall at least. Gcreek, height is not so much an issue, but width is (this location is about 8 feet from the driveway). Something that grew about 15-20 ft high would be great but not as wide. Red chokeberry is probably too short and shrubby (but great for the other side of the yard!) Cornus florida would be beautiful but would probably eventually get too wide. Amelanchier seems to grow more vertically than laterally. Kind of a rangy multi-stemmed habit, but maybe with good pruning it could be shaped nicely. I also read that it casts fairly light shade and has well behaved roots and perennials can be planted underneath (which is good because I already have peonies circling this burning bush).