Oh,it's not ultra tropical Bahia.Some are growing at Quail botanical gardens where they have taken at least 28F.Dave's Garden rates it down to zone 9b,25F. I was hopeing hobbyists could share growing outdoor experiences. I have grown it in a greenhouse where it reached 10' in a pot with a base that resembled a Buccaneer palm or Beaucarnea.Flowered too.They lasted only a day or two. Pachira is a surprisingly good houseplant. My wife bought one and keeps it in a vase where it's roots sit in water. Showed me that it is more than just a novelty. I would guess it looks much like a Pseudobombax outdoors.The flowers are dead ringers for each other. I can see somebody in the bay area having a good sized outdoor plant/shrub. Treating it like a Plumeria..much summer water,keep dry in winter..now,who has photos?

Well then Stan, why don't you experiment with yours outdoors, and tell us how you do. I stand by my statement that this is a no-go for the SF Bay Area. An occasional 28F for one night and then typical warmer days in Encinitas is not the same as two months of chilly winter weather. I am willing to bet that it wouldn't even tolerate 28F as a one night freeze here in the SF Bay Area, because we don't typically warm back up into the low 70'sF in the day, like they do in a zone 9b climate in Florida. I remember seeing this blooming all over the place in both Singapore and Bahia, Brazil; and these are both ultra-tropical climates. I did not see this used in Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo, which are closer to subtropical for short periods each winter, but where this would likely survive and could be grown if one wanted. I am willing to bet the one at Quail Gardens did not like this past January freeze, and probably looks nothing like how they grow in a tropical climate.

On Dave's garden their are photos of huge trees in Rio. The freeze is not a measuring stick. And who knows how it fared?
I would never expect it to become a towering tree. And like Plumeria go dormant in winter.
I think if you have the room a small group could be a showpiece. With so many sold somebody had to have planted one or more.
Urban + global warming creates many surprises nowadays..
I might try one with my Majesty palm.Roughly similar needs.

Darn. I thought for sure somebody in SouCal would have posted "'Here's a pic of mine in Santa Floribunda!" by now.

Actually, I live in San Diego and have a pachira aquatica growing in my backyard. Flowrred for the first time this fall. No problems with it in the last year and a half. I did plant it after the freeze of '07 though.

Would be nice to see a pic.The flowers are Bombax like arent they?

Cmon Epi,it doesnt have to be some giant tree.I just would actually like to see how they adapt to outdoors in California. Indoors,they remind me of our native Buckeye. So,I'm curious what color or size the leafs are outdoors.
Is it a sunlover or prefer shade?..or both?

Stan, did you ever try this? Wondering the same thing for my 10a zone in north bay.

I get no email alerts from howzz. Sorry it took me so long.

I did and it was doing fine until Gophers got it. 10a bay area is mild enough I say..it was 2 winters and growing when it was eaten.