Michelia Alba/Champaca: Advice Requested (Zone 10a)

6 years ago

Fragrant plant enthusiasts:

I have just purchased my second Michelia Alba. Briefly, I purchased my first one @3 years ago that was moderately root-bound, being a 15ft tree with a nearly 5" diameter trunk that was in a ridiculous-looking 10gal container. As I live on an island off the Gulf Coast of Florida, we are prone to tropical storms resulting in infrequent brackish water flooding parts of the yard. The seller (and planter) of the first Michelia Alba assured me that these trees are salt tolerant.

Guess what happened?

The tree thrived for the better part of 2 years, but during the bad tropical storm (Hermine?) last summer, the water from the Gulf rose so high that the roots of the M Alba were under a few inches of water for 3-4 hours. From that moment it was a slow decline for the tree, until everything died off apart from a 4ft stump that remains and for the past 6 months has been shooting off small branches that look promising, but they inevitably die back. So very sad.

I'm hooked on the fragrance of this tree, so I built a raised bed, 4' x 4' dimensions, out of double-stacked PT 2"x12" lumber on the highest spot in the yard. The second M Alba tree I just purchased is much smaller than the aforementioned first one, and though this one had been in a 30gal container before I transplanted it this weekend, its trunk is about half the thickness of the last one and it's only about 10' tall.

Getting around to the reason for my post (which I said would be brief; sorry) is that when I removed this M Alba from its 30gal container, I ended up pulling out @bit more than half of what was in the container, in that the main root ball is still attached to the tree, but approximately 6 or 8 inches of dirt and very tiny roots remained at the bottom of the container. (Lifting it up & into the bed was really a 2-man job, but I rushed it and foolishly tackled it by myself.) I lined the bottom of the raised bed with seashell, and then cow manure. I next put the aforementioned soil from the bottom of the container, and then I placed the M Alba on top of that and filled the rest of the raised bed with a mixture of Miracle-Gro and regular top soil.

Now 48 hours have passed and the tree still looks as green and vibrant as it did when it arrived from the nursery. Am I safe now with regard to potential transplant shock, and if not, at what point can I stop worrying that I may have done significant damage to the root system? I see that there are still about a dozen of the glorious little football-shaped buds on this tree waiting to bloom. Any tips or advice as to how I may best proceed with this (expensive) tree would be great! Thanks for reading this.

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Comments (6)

Just Started(Sydney)
6 years ago
I do not have any advice to give. But how much you paid for it? 15 ft tree in a 10 gallon container? Need some pics of the old tree if possible.
Every Mann
Original Author
6 years ago
Hello-- The 15ft tree/10gal container is gone. I was merely pointing out that I had purchased a root-bound tree years ago.

Any Michelia Alba owners out there? I am now 4 days since transplanting, and I hope I am out of the woods, so to speak, with regard to the possibility of transplant shock. Any tips or advice for successfully growing one of these trees in zone 10a that's well on its way (10' tall) would be humbly appreciated by me.

Thanks!
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The plant looked like it is dying. It dropped 80% of it's leaves. And stems color changed from green to brown. This indicated most branches are drying. The leading buds are pale green. It is a matter of time, these buds will be dry. The root (I checked at day 11) had a new feeder root. Day 19 It looked like die back is progressed down. I decided to cut off all dead branches. The root looked like it is growing; a few more feeder roots developed in last 8 days. It is time to draw conclusion what went right and what is wrong. 1. Ambition was so high to airlayer a trunk in stead of a side branch. 2. The plant was cut off too early before root fully develops. 3. More leaves should be trimmed off. I was told Michelia alba won't grow without leaves. Now I'm going to verify if this myth is true. I'll be cautious in watering this leafless tree.
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PansySoup, Sounds like your Michelia is thriving - and I'd like to know how you have accomplished this happy condition. I live in South Bay area (south of San Jose) in Sunset zone 16, though we are close to the Santa Cruz Mountains and get some moderating ocean influence. I recently bought two Champacas and four rather scruffy Figos (good deal on sale) and am trying to figure out best location in our 1/2 acre landscape. I plan to separate the two types so fragrances don't conflict. I have areas facing East along enclosed entry patio wall (full morning sun gives way to shade after about 1 pm) but fear the wall may be too hot, and concern that I must prune champacas so they don't run into eaves... Also have long North facing fence in side yard (outside bedroom windows) with some dappled shade of very huge old oak, where I am considering placing the figos... might consider container planting to preserve options until I can see where they are happiest; I also wonder about pruning them into broader, shrubbier shape (the champacas are already about 5' tall and narrow; I want to coax them into broader form... the figos are all rather scruffy and leafless, rather leggy - can I just whack them back to 2' or 3' stubs to encourage bushiness?) I'd appreciate having advice from experienced, successful michelia cultivators regarding my plant renovation goals - I don't want to do anything that is radically contrary to the natural habit of the plants. Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to reply. I am really looking forward to the famous fragrances of champaca and figo!
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blutayle
6 years ago
HI Every Mann,

I would think any vascular trauma would be evident within a week, if you have made it past 7 days with nothing dramatic it should be fine. I would not fertilize right away until it gets established, roots have a lot of work to do. At least 30 days...
Every Mann
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for the tip, Blutayle. It just occurred to me that my old M Alba (that got zapped by the salt water during a storm surge last summer) was not grafted, but this new one that I have planted in a raised bed is grafted. I know that grafted trees are less prone to plague and are generally heartier; are there any advantages to a non-grafted tree? It could either be my imagination or the fact that this new tree only has 2 or 3 blooms thus far, but the amazing scent of the white flowers seems not as strong on this new (grafted) tree as it did on the old one, where it was striking from even 15ft away.
blutayle
6 years ago
HI EM,

Grafted plants due tend to be heartier, bloom earlier, and in some cases be more protected from environmental conditions such as pest, weather, ect. As we all know, the genetic makeup of each plant is different. Once transplanted, a plant will naturally devote more time to developing its root system as opposed to trying to attract pollinators. Give the plant some time to adjust, and mature a bit more. Once it has nothing to do but concentrate on being pollinated...you may be surprised once again at the scent. I have the same plant that the scent varies at different times of the year.
mrao77
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
From what I understand, all M.albas are grafted as they do not set (fertile) seed. They are air layered or grafted and that is why they bloom much earlier than a M.champaca would, which is always raised from seed.

I second blutayle's note, in that any transplant shock would be evident in 7-10 days. However, Michelias are very sensitive to root rot. I am in zone 7b/8a and have it bring my plants indoors in a big pot. I have lost three M.albas, once which have been flowering and doing great..they just shed leaves and die slowly over 4-6 months :(

It could just be an issue when grown in pot, you may not have that with it being in the ground. Good luck with the new tree, and post pictures of the blooms!

Michelia Alba/Champaca: Advice Requested (Zone 10a)

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Just Started(Sydney)

Every Mann
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Michelia Alba/Champaca: Advice Requested (Zone 10a)

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Just Started(Sydney)

Every MannOriginal Author

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blutayle

Every MannOriginal Author

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Every Mann
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