Specialty Gardening: Michelia alba, 1 by Clare_CA

Clare_CA wrote:
Hi Guys, I have a Michelia x alba, Michelia champaca, Michelia figo, Michelia figo var. skinneriana, and a Michelia chapensis. The Michelia x alba flowers nearly year 'round here. The Michelia x alba seeds are sterile, as Lovetropics said, and so they are propagated by airlayering mostly and sometimes by grafting so they will bloom at a very small size. I bought my M. x alba when it was two feet tall and in bloom. The Michelia champaca, on the other hand, is propagated by seeds and needs to reach a level of maturity before blooming. This level of maturity usually happens at around five years old. Mine started blooming when it was eight feet tall with a sizable trunk and was at least a few years old. It was six feet tall when I bought it from a local nursery. The Michelia champaca always looks terrible in winter, and even though it is supposed to be evergreen, it is actually semi-deciduous. Here is a good article about Michelias if you are interested: http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/fragrant/2005034256008093... My good friend, Kukiat, who lives in Thailand has a collection of them in his yard. Here is his picture: