x Chitalpa tashkentensis 'PINK DAWN'

Need a tree flowering in summer, ideally with an exotic look? Then chitalpa is the best choice! This beautiful and hardy hybrid was created in 1964 in Uzbekistan. It is a cross between desert willow with rather exotic flowers and northern catalpa.

Pink Dawn is a name that fits this beauty perfectly. The orchid-like flowers are soft pink as a new dawn promising a lovely day. They have yellow throats with purple-pink veins and frilled margins. They are lightly scented with a sweet perfume that attracts butterflies. They keep coming out for as long as 10 weeks if the summer is sunny and warm.

Narrowly elongated leaves are 10-20 cm long, mid green, and look like peach tree leaves. They are very attractive and suitable for summer-style or exotic looking gardens as in the landscape they can do the same job as oleander leaves. In rapid temperature swings and humid weather in early summer they may suffer from powdery mildew. When you see the first signs apply a suitable fungicide to prevent from spreading the disease. One application is usually enough for the rest of the year.

Chitalpa does not require pruning but should you want to prune, trim or shape the tree, cut no more than a third of last year’s branches, in early spring as it flowers on current year’s wood. It grows medium slow to medium fast. If injured in winter or pruned hard it grows rapidly and makes strong, non-breaking branches that seldom bear flowers the same summer.

It needs direct sunlight and a hot summer for abundant flowering. Withstands drought once established. No special soil required, just avoid heavy, water-logged conditions. Some sources say it freezes in zone 6, however, it has proved no damage in -25°C without any injury in our garden and limited dieback in -27°C (USDA zone 5b).

Last update 05-12-2008; 25-02-2010; 22-10-2012