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| Category: Tree |
| Family: Sterculiaceae (Cacaoss) |
| Origin: Madagascar |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Pink |
| Bloomtime: Fall/Winter |
| Fragrant Flowers: Yes |
| Height: 15-20 feet |
| Width: 15-30 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 30-32° F |
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Dombeya wallichii (Pink Ball Tree) - Heart-shaped, large, velvety leaves adorn this interesting large shrub or small tree from East Africa and Madagascar. Hanging from within the foliage in the autumn and winter are balls of fragrant pale pink flowers. When the flowers fade, they don't fall off, but remain first fading to paler pink then light brown. This is considered either a shrub or small tree, growing to 25 ft. tall. It prefers either sun or part shade, and is not very frost hardy (30 degrees F.). Foliage takes on a bronze tone with first frost. It grows well in moist, fertile soil. There is a great deal of confusion between Dombeya wallichii and a hybrid of D. wallichii crossed with D. burgessiae that is called D. x cayeuxii. The two are very similar but differ in that D. x cayeuxii has 3 lobed leaves, white at the base of its petals and smaller bracts subtending the umbels of flowers. In her book "Color for the Landscape", Mildred Mathias notes that these two plants are often confused with D. x cayeuxii often "erroneously identified as D. wallichii".
The description above is based on our research and observations of this plant growing in our nursery, in our own garden and in other gardens in the Santa Barbara area. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who has additional information about this plant, even if they disagree with what we have written.
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