This seedling was started last spring with seeds from a 'Summer Chocolate' Albizia that someone sent me. It has shown consistently red foliage, unlike my other albizia seedlings, so I have some hopes for it.
Meanwhile, my search for the elusive 'Summer Chocolate' parent has been unfruitful.
You should get together with these two people-
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/623196/
Thankfully albizia are not a problem around here. In fact, they can't grow on their own in our shrub-steppe at all. With 8" of rainfall per year we are entirely dependent on the three rivers for our water, and the albizia can't compete on the river banks. I've seen the most amazing trees around town, some of them older than I thought albizia could get, and despite the huge numbers of seed pods they drop, no one I've spoken with has said that the volunteers were a problem in their yard (and this includes the neighbors!)
I feel for those of you in other parts of the country where they are invasive, though. I'm fighting a major war with the virginia creeper which is not only entrenched in my yard, but the entire neighborhood, the parks, the riversides, etc. I have a friend who cannot get rid of his morning glory for anything. Russian olive, mulberry, various grasses have done great damage in the native areas. I cringe when I see people planting these on this board, but I try to remember that not all parts of the country are equal. :) So far I've never heard of anyone planting the cheat grass which has destroy millions of acres of native grassland in this state, at least.
And although I'm aware that 'Chocolate Summer' is showing up in nurseries around the country, I still have found no local sources and no mail order sources.
I think we all react with fury or despair when we see anyone promoting a plant that we personally have devoted years of blood, sweat, and money trying to control, even if that plant is not invasive in some other areas. I tease equil a lot about my own Albizia (which I watch like a hawk for any signs of recruitment). But IMHO she is trying to alert those who might be clueless that this, and other invasive plants, can cause nightmares if they aren't used with caution, and I applaud her persistence, knowledge, and persuasiveness in doing so. Many gardeners are not fully competent to analyze their local habitats and/or responsible enough to avoid plants that have the real potential to become problems locally. Some advice for selecting landscape plants : When in doubt, leave it out!
Guy S.
Here's a pic of my 'Summer Chocolate'.
Now you're just rubbing it in. :)
If my seedling actually stays true to form, it'll still be a few years before it gets that big.
