Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata)

Ylang Ylang
Cananga odorata

My Cananga odorata enjoyed a nice temporary portable greenhouse this winter. Minimum temperature tolerated is said to be 41 degrees F.

Hi Clare:

Just wondering how your Ylang Ylang is doing now. I am tempted to plant one in my yard (Calabasas - 9b) but would be heartbroken if it died in the winter!

Thanks,

Norma

Hi Norma, mine is in the ground now and about to experience its first winter outside here in Zone 10b. I think my zone is "iffy." For sure, the leaves will turn black, and I'll probably have some branch dieback. I don't think even a mature specimen will survive your winters outside.

That picture was taken last month, and it is a bit dark so I went outside to take another picture of it for you.

If it doesn't survive the winter, I'll still have my dwarf Ylang Ylang, but it too is spending the winter outside as I only have a very small greenhouse this year, and there is no room inside for it. It doesn't get much below 40 here so it should do fine outside.

Wow, your canangas look great (thanks so much for posting updated pics) -- I hope they survive the winter! Supposedly avg evening winter temps in my area are in the low 40's, but summers can be brutal. This past one we had occasional temps in the 105 - 110F, so we have plenty to worry about on both ends! I'm not sure which is the greatest threat for canangas in my area: cold, heat or lack of humidity! I am SOO tempted to order a cananga odorata from Top Tropicals, plant it and hope for the best... If I do that, do you think it would be better to do it now or during another season? I also bought a couple of jade vines that are awaiting planting so that keeps me stressed enough, along with anxiously observing the progress of the 8 michelia albas we planted in the spring. They've done remarkably well considering this awful summer and continue to grow and bloom, although they get brown tips (leaf burn?) and some yellow leaves off and on.

And congrats on your vast and wonderful selection of plantings -- it seems that you have everything I'd like to plant in my yard, so that keeps me encouraged given the proximity. To think we almost moved to Camarillo 3 years ago, lol! We're only 20 miles down the road but the temperature/ humidity differences are dramatic. I just keep hoping we're close enough so that I'll be able to grow some of the wonders in your yard!

Thanks again for posting all your pics and sharing your wisdom -- you and palmbob are my gardening inspirations :-)


This message was edited Nov 25, 2006 11:44 AM

Hi Naudhya,

I would definitely wait until spring to order a Cananga odorata. Ask them to ship it to you in a container. I ordered one from them, and it arrived bareroot, and it never made it out of transplant/transport shock. I had to buy another one, and this time, they sent it in soil in a container, and it suffered much less shock. That is the Cananga that I have today.

The best way to bring it out of transport/transplant shock is to give it filtered sun/mostly shade in warm weather for a week or so, while misting and watering with B-1. The alternative is to plant it right away when you receive it and let it recover while it is planted where it is going to stay. Again, this should be done in warm weather. Canangas dislike cold weather and cold soil immensely.

I'm nervous about having mine in the ground this winter. The leaves start to turn black and curl when temps start to dip below 40. If you don't get freezing temps where you are, then you are in Zone 10 most likely. I'm in Zone 10b, where lows get to 35-40. Zone 9b is supposed to have temps down to 25-30. Canangas will die if subjected to freezing temps, even for short periods. My friend Cassandra and I have a standing joke because we both have killed a couple of different Canangas each while trying to grow them. She's in Florida, and it was tough keeping one alive for her there just as it was for me here. They are so sensitive to cold.

I personally would not risk planting one in the ground in your zone. If you want to try it, try planting it next to a structure or brick building, if possible, so that it can have some protection in the winter.

I can definitely see why you are nervous about your jade vines. They are another highly sensitive tropical!

Some yellow leaves on Michelia x alba is normal for this time of year. Remember to fertilize with fertilizer for acid-loving plants like Azaleas, Gardenias, Magnolias, etc., such as Miracid, starting in the spring. You should get some nice green leaves in the spring. They say that Michelias are evergreen, but they are evergreen like magnolias are evergreen; i.e., they shed leaves like crazy! They should be called semi-deciduous. Brown leaf tips means they are not getting enough water.

Thanks for the compliments and kind words:-) Good luck!

That's settled then -- I'll wait until spring to order my cananga! I need to figure out once and for all this deal w/ the zone... for example, I know that temps in Camarillo are generally 10+ degrees lower than they are in Calabasas, so I think zone 10 is more likely for my area in spite of the info in the "zone-by-zip code" maps.

Thanks for the info re: the fertilizer for the michelias; I'll make sure the gardener has a plan for that! And I see what you mean re: magnolias -- we planted a m. grandiflora per our landscaper's recommendation and I hate it. The tree is ugly, fries in the summer and sheds considerably. We grew the Leonard Messel and Jane magnolias on the east coast and they were stunning in spite of their deciduousness, so I was extremely disappointed re: the ordinary look of the grandiflora. Expensive lesson: research trees before following landscaper's advice, lol!

I really do hope your trees do really well this winter, Clare; you take such good care of your plants... Heck, I absolutely love plants and stress about them like they're my children even though I'm as far from having a green thumb as I am from growing a new head :-) Please keep me posted as the winter progresses, and many thanks!

Norma

Norma, I have found AccuWeather fairly accurate in there hour-by-hour readings: http://wwwa.accuweather.com/index.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&zipChg=1 You might put in your zip code and then go to Past 24 hours and check this for a while to get an idea of how cold it really gets where you are. I have a La Crosse Atomic Clock with a weather station, which displays outdoor temps from a sensor. You might consider buying one today if you are going to buy one since today is Black Monday, and there are great sales to be had: http://www.lacrosse-psmall.com/#Sale%20Items You are right that the USDA Zone Map isn't always accurate, and it doesn't take into consideration microclimates, which can raise an area by a full zone.

Thanks for the well wishes, Norma. Same to you. I will definitely keep you posted. I'm the same way with plants, and it will really hurt my feelings if this Cananga decides it is too cold to live!

Wow, what great ideas, thanks! I will be sure to check that accuweather regularly and will go order my weather station right away. You just might make a real gardener out of me yet, lol!

LOL! I think you are already a great gardener just because of the mere fact that you care;-)

Hi Clare:

How's your tree doing? This year's unusual winter frost has caused quite a few plant losses in my area. I lost my two jade vines and two New Zealand Christmas trees (although I'm hoping they'll miraculously recover when the weather gets warmer. Til then I'll keep watering and hoping for the best!). I've also seen quite a few desert plants that have died in my neighborhood and all the while your cananga has been on my mind. I really hope it fared well -- if it survived this, it will survive anything! On the bright side, my michelia albas came through quite well considering -- a bit of winter burn but they're still standing and some are even flowering!

Warmest regards,

Norma

This message was edited Feb 4, 2007 5:19 PM

This message was edited Feb 4, 2007 5:20 PM

Hi Norma! It's nice to chat with you again! That cold snap was something else, wasn't it? It got down to 28 here one night and 32 on a few different nights. All my exposed brugs and a few tropicals that were exposed out front received damage; however, the Cananga is located on the west side of the house next to a brick retaining wall and between my house and my neighbor's house. To my surprise, it received no damage. My M. x alba has a few fried leaves, and my M. champaca has mostly fried leaves, but I think they both will shed them and get new ones in the spring. I'm glad to hear that your M. x albas are still doing well but sorry to hear about your jade vines. I have one Passiflora that took a hard hit, but I think it may come back.

Best,
Clare

Oh, how wonderful, Clare! I will go ahead and order my cananga now. Hopefully planting it early will let it get estabished enough to brave next winter, which I hope is kinder than this one! Some of my m. albas are rather fried but I see a lot of stem growth as well as budding flowers, so hopefully they'll be pretty again soon. Do you grow boronias? I really like those and would like to plant some. I also have a western exposure border looking for shrubs that can take the incredibly hot summer sun we get here. Any other suggestions? I'd prefer to plant bushes that won't grow beyond 3 feet tall, as I hate to force plants to fit the space.

Thanks!
Norma

Hi Norma, I don't grow any boronias anymore, but I used to have one that was very pretty. Be sure to plant your new Cananga in the most sheltered, warmest spot that you can find for it if you are not going to grow it in a container. For shrub recommendations, I would recommend

Pink Breath of Heaven: http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/85009/
Aglaia odorata: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/60784/index.html or
Murraya exotica http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/55288/index.html

Those three are probably my favorites right now.

Breynia is also a gorgeous shrub with no fragrance: http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/59023/

Sweet Olive is fantastic too but eventually grows big.

If you just want something that is attractive and low maintance, a colorful lantana is always nice.

Thanks for your suggestions, Clare; we have such similar tastes in plants! I LOVE diosmas and o. fragrans, both of which are finding homes here. I will definitely plant the aglaia and find a spot for a murraya. From the descriptions, I'm pretty sure I'll love the scent of both! How much water do they require? Also, do you think it's worthwile to find a spot for a m. skinneriana? I think I'll love the scent but the shrub itself doesn't appear to be much to look at...

Norma, yes, the Aglaia is definitely one of my favorite scents along with M. figo var. skinneriana. I ordered my M. figo var. skinneriana from Nurseries Carolina mail order, and it is definitely so much better than the regular M. figo. It blooms a lot more often, and the blooms last for more than a day. Mine is covered right now in buds. I think there might be a name problem in some nurseries, and M. skinneriana might be different so be sure to see the blooms before you buy if you can. I water a lot so it is hard to tell if they could get by with less, but I imagine that they can.

Thanks, Clare. You're the best!