California Glory: Do you have this plant growing in your garden? How big is it and how old? Do you prune yours to restrict its size or let it ‘do its thing’? Is it attractive year round? Do you have it growing in average garden soil or is it in a droughty spot of your garden, surviving in full sun without supplemental water in the summer? Can you post a picture of it? Thanks, any info on this tree would be appreciated!
Here are some photos from Vancouver, just plants I have come across, so I have no info about their care. I don't notice these when they are not flowering, so can't even answer the question about year-round attractiveness, though with an occasional nudge, I could easily go photograph the one at English Bay. Photos are from the bath house at English Bay beach, May, 2010; 3rd and Trafalgar in Kitsilano, June, 2011; Cardero and Nelson in the West End, June, 2011.
Thank you, this is most helpful! and if you do happen to walk passed the one in English Bay sometime this fall or winter, please take a picture and post it. That would be fantastic! Thanks again!
There are a couple of large ones at the Scott Paper end of the boardwalk along the Fraser in New Westminster, and at least one more in Strathcona (on Keefer?). I know the Strathcona one died back to the roots in 2017’s hard winter, but it rebounded to an extent this year, and flowered. None of them appear to be particularly taken care of, so look a bit ragged.
Be careful not to plant this too near a pathway or anywhere you need to walk alot. The fuzzy fibers on the leaves can be extremely irritating in your eyes. Not a good choice around children.
Here is another Fremontodendron californicum that I know nothing about, just that I saw it yesterday at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden in the Shoreline area of Seattle and has a label. And that it seems to be sharing a pot with something that seems quite large for the container. I wonder if those plants are not actually in the ground and what looks like a container was just built around them. Sorry, I didn't investigate that.
It could be that it was planted in the pot as a small specimen but eventually the roots grew out the bottom into the soil beneath.
I don't think I would call this Fremontodendron attractive now. The old flowers are hanging on and going brown to black, and though the leaves are still green, the whole tree looks sort of messy. I'd love to go back and look at that. I have been told that the other plant is probably Lyonothamnus floribundus (Catalina ironwood), which could want to grow to 6-9 meters.
