I am thinking about planting an American Smoke Tree as an accent in front of my single story house, along the sidewalk that leads to the front door. Does anyone on here have any experience with the native smoke tree? How big will this tree get in practice? Would I be better off with the European version? How close to the house can I plant it? It will be in an area that is sprinkler irrigated - is that too much water for it? The soil is a sandy mix that seems to drain pretty well.
Any opinions or experiences with this plant would be greatly appreciated!
Dennis
Smoke Tree opinions
The American smoke tree - you must be referring to Continus obovatus rather than Dalea spinosa of the Sonoran desert and Arizona. I'm not growing either one, but a friend in California has a couple of Continus coggyria. Very pretty - the pink-purple coloring seems more like "haze" than "smoke" to me. I've read that the trees do better in dry, infertile soil. With improved conditions they tend to be short-lived and subject to verticillium wilt.
When I was in Las Cruces, new Mexico, they had the most beautiful smoke trees in the botanical gardens there in the horticultural department...I just remember them while i was in school as the prettiest thing ever....now i want to look up what zone they were in...I know it was low desert and dry.
There are some that grow naturally in Texas. I have one (from a Hill Country source) in my yard that I bought and planted. It's slow-growing in my Hill Country area, but I really love it. The foliage and blooms are lovely! I've heard that it does better without a lot of water.
I wonder how it would do in the middle of my St. Augustine grass, since it needs quite a bit a water...
You might put the question to your Master Gardeners chapter.