Nursery notes: on sale this weekend: 30% off palm trees and crape

myrtles! 20% off pottery! (excluding talavera).

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with it. http://gardentherapy.ca/semper-viva-wreath/

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Central Texas Gardener KLRU TV.  On tour, wander a romantic

street side garden where Bob Atchison and Rob Moshein  invite the

neighbors into their Texas-tough multicultural design. Also a chat 

with Lucinda Hutson about her recent book about tequila. Sat. noon,

4 p.m. or Sun. at 9 a.m. www.klru /

by Chris Winslow

 

Want to attract hummingbirds, have a fast-growing tree, with lots

of lovely flowers, and be water-wise in your choice? A pink dawn

chitalpa is the tree for you.

 

This decorative plant (Chitalpa taskentensis) is relatively new and

shows lots of promise. It’s a cross between our native desert willow

(Chilopsis linearis) and catalpa ( Catalpa capreolata). Both are in the

Bignoniaceae family which includes crossvine, one of our best land-

scape vine choices for Central Texas. Chitalpa grows fast, to a height

and width of 25’ x 25,’ and it does this with very little water.

 

Its light pink azalea-like flowers are filled with nectar that humming-

birds adore. And this beautiful ornamental tree flowers all the way

from late spring through late fall.

 

From the desert willow, the chitalpa inherits the ability to withstand

heat and drought. From the catalpa, it inherits cold tolerance to temp-

eratures below zero. Also it is seedless  - so it’s non-invasive and is

considered ‘a clean tree.’

 

I first came upon this tree when I moved to my present home in 2001.

There were two specimens on the property,  and I’ve spent a dozen

summers watching the 'hummers' attack the flowers as the sun sets.

 

To my surprise, they have thrived on waterings provided by Mother

Nature only. This wonderful tree is hard to beat.  (We have  5 gal. chi-

                                           Happy gardening everyone!