White Champak, Pak-Ian, Fragrant Himalayan Champaca, Joy Perfume Tree, White Sandalwood

I got a Michelia x Alba Joy Perfume tree from a vendor down in Florida around mid-December 2010, &, it had a number of leaves with curiou...Read Mores holes in the leaves, but, no seen pests, ever.
I now know that it's because areas of certain leaves develop 'dead areas', usually doing some roll-up also.
I also get other leaves, slowly turning yellowish, then, falling off, total of leaf 'fall-off' maybe 3-4 a week, sometimes more, sometimes less.

I'm feeding it DynaGro's Foliage Pro & Chelated Iron in clean, non-tap water, &, then watering it when my Rapitest Moisture Meter reads 6 or less, as, I don't know what mark I should use to water it when.

I also have a area-wide infestation of Fungus Gnats, &, this tree seems to be a magnet for the hated Spider Mite.
I am about to get some 'beneficial insects/bugs' to help eradicate these pests, &, have already talked 'at-length' with a Lab Expert at one place that sells them, because I am tired of having to keep spraying cool water on it almost every night!

Despite the fact that it is, like all of my 34 other plants I have here in my apartment (more soon to come!), planted in Natures Premium Potting Soil (not 'organic' because it has Perlite, necessary for draining),&, that I have been using the Foliage Pro/Chelated Iron mix for at least two, if not, three weeks, it still has a ph of 7, if not somewhat higher, like 7.5.

I have them growing under good LED grow lights, which are also growing Guava trees, Tree Tomato, Lady Finger Banana, Gardenias, Cinnamon tree, Star Fruit tree, Surinam Cherry tree, four varieties of Jasmine Sambacs,
Elephant Tree, Dwarf Mulberry tree, four varieties of Crown-Of-Thorns, Kentia Palm, two types of Brunfelsias, Sapodilla tree, etc, and,they are all growing quite vigourously.

I would like to solicit some comments as to what I may need to try, to get it in 'prime' shape; it's had no flowers yet, tho, I've seen lately, 4 or 5 buds that look rather like they could be flowers-in-the-making.
Could anyone send me a photo of a branch tip with flower buds, before the petals start showing, up fairly close, so I'll know, &, so I can tell my friends, so they'll be alerted of their imminent arrival?

This plant satisfies even the most finicky fragrance gardener. Its form, foliage and fragrance are a complete delight. Once established, ...Read Morethe profusion of blooms and length of blooming season are far better than many books would have you believe. Mine has bloomed in an unprotected Zone 9a-b garden location for Christmas, filling the cool air with its complex tropical perfume. It withstands summer heat over 100F and winter nights reaching below 34F with nary a complaint.

Fall 2011 Update: My Michelia alba has grown so tall that a freak wind snapped a 10-foot main stem in half. I am learning that, as the tree matures, the branches become brittle and need support. On the plus side, it blooms for months on end, is pest-free, and requires no protection, even when our temperatures have dropped into the mid- to high-20s.

Totally LOVE this tree!! Was about 6 feet tall and kind of scrawny when purchased, but 16 months later, it is looking fabulous. And this ...Read Moreafter surviving our extraordinarily cold winter this year - generally, we don't have a freeze at all, but this year, it was in the 20's (fahrenheit) for like 5 nights, and then stayed around freezing for another week and a half -- made for a very cold 20 day stretch. I lost most of my heliconia, but amazingly, this tree didn't lose that many leaves even, and now it is much more full than before.
The scent is heavenly - perfect. Stays in some bloom most of the time - just not during and after that very cold period. I was afraid it would die, but it is doing great.
Can't say enough good things about this tree. Leaves are large and bright green, and it is in full sun. I look forward to seeing it grow and grow over the years.

An outstanding Patio Tree. We purchased it last Spring as a 20" cutting (with a couple of feable leaves on it), and it took off! By the e...Read Morend of summer it was 6' tall with several blooms. Here in Central New York,by the time October comes around, the temps are flirting with the freezing mark, so we brought it inside, and hoped for the best. It has been in a 7 gallon container near a south facing sliding glass door, and it's doing great! It does not like to "go dry", and reacts very well to frequent mild feedings. It is mid December, the days are mostly cloudy and short, and it continues to (slowly) grow! I highly recommend this plant as a center piece to their container specimen plants. In mid January the poor plant suffered an infestation of Spider Mites while we were away for two weeks. It never seemed to bounce back, and slowly lost all its leaves. I put it into the greenhouse, but it appeared to go dormat. The cambium tissue is green, but many of the twigs are turning black. We had another Michelia that spent most of November outside before it was brought into the greenhouse; it is in now full bloom (05-04-09). This being our first year with this plant, I'm thinking it may require the dormancy period for a better chance of survival.

This is one of my favorite fragrant plants. Avoid direct California sun in the first couple years. Need protections during winter storms...Read More. After 5 years of pampering, it’s doing pretty well now. Worth all the troubles though. It’s the most popular flower among my visitors.

One of my favorites for sure!!
With only a couple of flowers on her you can smell her hundreds of feet away..
The smell is ...Read Morea strong juicy fruit gum smell on a hot humid night..
She likes to be water alot but not soggy..
I give her lots of nutrients and it seems to really make her bloom alot..
My ph on my nutrients is 6.0 - 6.5
The only thing i have to worried about are those little green caterpillars that move very fast if you try to catch it..
The pillar spins a web too and uses the web to escape you..
If you see your leaves with bite marks on them then inspect the leaves..
Look at the leaves and find the one that is curl up on itself you will most likely find him in a coccoon type of web..
One little bugger can set your plant back alot!!

This tree is commonly known as the "Joy Perfume Tree" down here in Florida!
Propagation is nearly impossible,most plants you buy are either grafted or grown from seeds..
Not all plants produce seeds!
:(

This is one of my most favorite trees for fragrance. It blooms in the spring, summer, and fall here outdoors in Zone 10 and seems to do ...Read Morequite well in a container for several years.

Michelia x alba is a hybrid between Michelia champaca and Michelia montana. It is often incorrectly labeled as Michelia Champaca 'Alba' by commercial enterprizes, but this is incorrect nomenclature.

My tree does produce seeds, and I have gotten one seed to germinate, but most trees are produced by grafting or air-layering. Michelia champaca, the yellow-flowered Michelia, bears seeds which are viable.

The flowers can be picked as they are opening and put in water, and the fragrance will fill the room.