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Acrocarpus fraxinifolius (Pink Cedar) - A fast growing large deciduous tree that can have a buttressed base with a straight trunk of a light gray colored bark and spreading horizontal stems that form a rounded crown. In the tropics this tree is known to reach great heights (120 feet or more) but is more likely to be a tree to no more than 70 feet in Southern California. It has bipinnately compound leaves with 5 to 6 pairs of dark green 3-inch-long oblong leaflets that are a bright reddish pink color when first emerging, then a pinkish yellow and finally a lime green color before maturing, giving the tree a multicolored look at the branch tips much of the spring and summer. In the early spring, just before or just as the tree first leaves out, appear the many scarlet-red flowers in 3 to 6 inch long dense axillary racemes near, but not at, the branch tips. The flowers are composed of ½ long green petals that are fairly inconspicuous, but the scarlet colored 1-inch-long stamens protrude, giving the inflorescence a bit of a bottlebrush look.
Plant in full sun and irrigate deeply regularly to occasionally. Hardiness is not well known but this tree has survived undamaged in several locations in Santa Barbara for 40 years or more and likely is tolerant to nighttime dips to at least 28° F.
Acrocarpus fraxinifolius is monospecific (only one in the genus) and native to the montane rainforests below 4,000 feet along the Himalayas of eastern India and Myanmar (Burma) and further to the southeast through the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Java. It is known to be deep rooted and because of its fast growth and the quality of its wood, which is hard and strong, it is planted in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The wood is used for home construction, furniture and packing boxes and is also used as a shade tree in coffee plantations. Though relatively rare in cultivation in California there are large specimens in Santa Barbara and other cities in Southern California. The name Acrocarpus combines the Greek words 'akron' meaning "peak" or "extremity" with 'karpos' meaning fruit in reference to the terminal racemes in which the fruit is born. As the specific epithet implies, this plant looks similar to an Ash (in the genus Fraxinus) and other common names include Australian Ash, Indian Ash, Kenya Coffeeshade, Mundani, Red Cedar and Shingle Tree. We have grown this tree off and on since 2012.
This information about Acrocarpus fraxinifolius displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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