Cassia fistula cold hardiness

[SubTropicRay]

What is the minimum temperature for Cassia fistula before damage becomes apparent?

Thanks in advance,

Ray

[Eric in Orlando]

Ray,

Younger specimens are more tender and show damage around 30F. More mature trees can take 26-27F. Ours is flowering now.

[LJG]

Eric, do you guys keep this on the dry side in the winter like a Delonix or Colvillea?

[Eric in Orlando]

I think they bloom better if kept on the dry side. Ours isn't, its in a section that gets regular irrigation.

[SubTropicRay]

Eric,

How did this tree fair after the last two winters?

Thanks,

Ray

[aloetom]

Has anyone grown it in California ?

[Eric in Orlando]

Eric,

How did this tree fair after the last two winters?

Thanks,

Ray

Ours had no damage the past 2 winters, didn't even have leaves damaged. I have seen a few others around town with damage, dieback from a few inches to about a foot. They are hardier than a royal poinciana but slightly less hardy than a jacaranda, from my observations.

[SubTropicRay]

If it can survive the last two winters, I think it's a reliable, long term plant for central Florida.

[Eric in Orlando]

Cassia leptophylla, Gold Medallion Tree, is hardier. They tolerate into the mid 20s with no damage. They are common in SoCa but not common in Florida. Disney has grown them at the parks since the 1980's. Its a nice smaller tree.

Here is one at EPCOT

and one here at Leu Gardens

[SubTropicRay]

Speaking of Epcot, I was there Saturday for the Flower and Garden Festival and got up on stage with Tom MacCubbin.

I had no idea Erythrina crista-galli was cold hardy. There's a big one at the Polynesian Resort also.

[Eric in Orlando]

Erythrina crista-galli is also hardy into the mid 20sF, maybe lower 20sF. I have heard of it being grown in NoFL as a dieback perennial.

There was an old one here at Leu Gardens that survived the 80's freezes with only minor/moderate limb damage.

[fastfeat]

Cassia leptophylla, Gold Medallion Tree, is hardier. They tolerate into the mid 20s with no damage. They are common in SoCa but not common in Florida. Disney has grown them at the parks since the 1980's. Its a nice smaller tree.

Cassia leptophylla is really the only truly reliable and readily available species for SoCal. Cassia angolensis, C. brewsteri are well-adapted, but basically unavailable. Most others from humid-tropical regions (C. fistula, C. grandis, C. bakeriana, C. javanica, others) are really for collectors in CA who put in the extra effort to grow them. Don't look for C. fistula to replace C. leptophylla as a street tree around Disneyland anytime soon...

And I'm still hoping to figure out the limiting factor of success of C. leptophylla in South Florida before I die. As much as I love the tree, I found it to be a rather pathetic performer from Palm Beach Co southward. Not sure if it's the alkalinity (though foliage color seemed normal) or the higher night temps at more southerly locales or???