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Florida Gardening

Shaving Brush Tree Propagation

14 years ago

Has anyone had success getting a cutting to grow. I have one in my yard and now we're going to be moving....I'm am very tempted to just uproot the whole thing (no one will even notice as I had no idea what it was and now its surrounded by other plants)....it is only about two-three feet tall right now. Do you guys think a cutting will take. I got this baby at a swap and I rarely hear about it on here...but it bloomed for me once...just as I was getting ready to get rid of it...and I want to make sure its in my next yard.

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Comments (18)

msmarion
14 years ago
Trini, just let your realtor know that you will be taking selected plants. I've written into the PSA that I would be coming back and take several plants (peonies when living in MA) when appropriate to remove them.
trinigemini
Original Author
14 years ago
The only other plants I intend to take are potted. I was planning on moving for quite a while now. You can't even see the shaving brush right now...it is surrounded by crotons that dominate it as well as a huge candle bush....not to mention salvia and some purple plant with white puffy flowers. Plus it's not in bloom right now and the leaves are ratty...somethings been eating it. Trust me no one knows what a gorgeous tree it actually is :-) I just checked on it to see how easy it would be to pull up and it is only about two feet tall and the trunk can't even be called a trunk yet :-)Do you really think I need to make a deal out of it?

From the other plants I have been collecting seeds. And anything that doesn't seed like my broms I figured will be replaced eventually by a swap or two :-) I just wonder if I will get to taste my bananas before we leave.
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If you really like the fruit from this tree, grafting is the only way to fully duplicate the fruit in a new tree. Planting seeds and growing them can be fun and may yield some pretty good fruit, but there will still be variation in the trees grown from seed, so you won't be duplicating your existing tree. I have 2 apricots grown from seed. Both trees produced loads of fruit this year, one tree has fruit about 3/4", the other 1" to 1 1/4". One tree is completely freestone (the fruit even splits a bit at the stem end, open it up and turn it over and the seed falls out), the other partially freestone. One has relatively dry fruit, the other was very sweet and juicy. One tree clings onto the fruit until it rots, the other starts dropping while the fruit still has a tinge of green. Both have good fruit, one better for jam and the other good for fresh eating or canning, but they aren't the parent trees. At 25 years, your old tree really should have a pretty good life left unless it has disease problems, so it shouldn't need removal in the near future. You can have fun planting seeds (the seed is ripe before the fruit is ripe, no need to let it over ripen) and growing some seedlings, then if you want you can either let those grow to produce and see what you get, and/or you could graft from the old tree to branches on the new ones so that you have both the seedling fruit and the graft from the old tree, and eventually cut off the one that isn't as good. Grafts are also likely to come into fruit sooner than seedlings. Getting a known rootstock for grafting would allow you some control over final tree size and may have some traits that will add to the tree, but using seedlings as rootstock won't cost you anything and will probably produce a full sized tree unless you prune frequently.
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I saw your pictures of this plant and I would leave both trunks. It would be a very interesting tree.
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I saw your other message. I'm not sure why it was grafted onto a Floss Silk Tree, Seedling FST usually have very strong root systems and other, unusual cultivars are usually grafted. As for your Pseudobombax, that trunk with the thorns is a FST that has sprouted from under the graft. It appears to be more vigorous than the Pseudobombax so if you don't want a FST, keep any sprouts from below the graft cut off. We had recieved that in a group of grafted FST (some new, unusual cultivars from SoFL) but already have several Pseudobombax planted out. Eric Orlando,FL z9b/10a
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katkin_gw
14 years ago
I rooted a piece about a foot tall, just keep it well watered.

But to be on the safe side if you wanted to take that one, I'd put it in the contract. The new owners probably won't miss it like you said, but they could make a big deal of it. For sure, cover the hole well so it doesn't look like anything was missing. :o)
katieauthier
14 years ago
Trini,
Here's an idea, be at the house when prospective buyers come by, if they do what i did and go straight to the back yard to see whats there leave it (I will give you a large cutting) if not take it hahaha :)

Katie
trinigemini
Original Author
14 years ago
We've already sold the house. Sold in three days. They came by at night after they got off work. Too dark to see the yard.:-) Thanks for the offer. There are so many plants that I want to take....but I will be good and leave them all. Its so very hard to do. :-)
happy_girl
14 years ago
I would dig it up NOW & put it in a big, really big pot. Take good care of it & there should be no problem. I have tranplanted many 2-3 ft. tall plants this way.
trinigemini
Original Author
14 years ago
I've decided to be good. I tugged on it and it seemed like it was pretty well rooted. So I'm going to leave it and hope the people are patient enough to see what a real treasure it is :-) I've taken a cutting and if it doesn't take well than I will take Katie up on her offer ;-)
trini1trini
14 years ago
Hi TG,
I've been trying to email you with no success. Please email me.
Thanks!
T-
trinigemini
Original Author
14 years ago
trini1...you've got mail. :-)
katkin_gw
14 years ago
TG, where did you decide to move to? ;o)
trinigemini
Original Author
14 years ago
We are moving to Jupiter..if we ever find a house :-)Going house shopping again today. Hopefully we will have luck.
mistiaggie
14 years ago
We have a shaving brush in our front yard. I attempted to root from a cutting and it initially looked like it was going to take, but I neglected it. Hope it works out!
tlsq
2 years ago
I just came across this very old post because I want to take a cutting from a giant shaving brush (pink) tree that I have on a rental property I own. Trini, did you ever get one? I’m in North Palm and will give you cuttings if you’d like. I’ll keep a eye on this thread.
Ginny Abner
last year
Has anyone actually started a healthy plant from a cutting? if so how did you do it. we live in Okeechobee and have a beautiful Shaving bush tree that needs pruned and would love to use a
Ginny Abner
last year
cutting to start for our new
tlsq
last year
I put a 2’ cutting from a mature tree into water and left it on my covered patio. Within a couple weeks it had roots and started pushing leaves. I haven’t planted it yet so don’t know how it will do but based on its health in the water I have high hopes.
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
last year
FWIW, when I start a cutting in water, I transplant to a good potting mix to let it root more before putting it in the ground. The only exception is Ti plants, since they're so hardy.
irma_stpete_10a
last year
Pseudobombax ellipticum, shaving brush tree, Dr Seuss tree, amapolia tree... just the names for this tree make me want to have one!

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