Pruning a floppy Texas Kidneywood

10 years ago

This Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia texana) is in its second year from a 1 gallon planting. Would like to prune towards a tree shape once the fall blooms conclude, but am not sure how to deal with the major flopping.

I've had it staked since the original stems shot up over 4 feet the first season thinking they would eventually add some girth... but that doesn't seem to be happening after another year. My thought is to cut the major "floppers" off at their bases and see if the others develop firmer trunks. Other approaches I should consider?

It is not native to our rich clay, so am wondering if it may always tend to flop more than in it's native range. It really can shoot up quite a bit after a heavy rain. Anyone getting a good tree form out of one in north Texas?

Featured Answer

roselee z8b S.W. Texas

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Kidneywood does want to be a shrubby multi-trunked tree, but will develop strong trunks over time. However, I have to occasionally cut back the sprouts that form around the bottom.

Here's the base of the new seedling tree. Also shown are other seedlings that have come up in response to the rain from seeds dropped years ago. I will attempt to transplant them this coming winter.

Below are the sprouts at the base of my mature tree, which after years of having been cut back, have almost given up trying to grow ...

One thing you might want to do is cut off the spent flowers before they form seeds so the strength goes to its growth. I wish I had done that to my little tree which, because of all the rain (I surmise), is now almost solid seeds at the expense of the foliage.

The tree a few weeks ago ...

The tree now. I have never seen anywhere near this many seeds on my other Kidneywood trees ...

On your tree I would leave the heaviest stems, but trim off the small ones and keep it loosely staked for awhile to correct the floppiness. I've had to do that. It didn't take long for the branches to gain strength and remain upright.. The only reason my young tree is single trunked is because the other strong stems intruded on where I walk so I had to cut them off.

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Comments (6)

Embothrium
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Assuming this species lends itself into being made into a single stem tree (the one at your link is actually a multi-stemmed shrub that merely had the lowest branches snipped off - something I am not sure was an enhancement)....

Your staking is too flimsy. Carefully insert an adequately stout stake, select a future leader and tie it firmly to the stake. Leave the other branches alone until the leader has developed as desired for some time. The more shrub top is present the greater the total increase in new growth being made each time.
bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw thanked Embothrium
bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Embothrium, What's commonly called "tree form" on these is usually multi-trunk as also seen with yaupon, rusty blackhaw, TX mountian laurel, and others.... which suppose could all be considered large shrubs with lower limbs snipped off. Don't recall seeing a TX kidneywood pruned for single trunk, but imagine someone has tried it.

The steel stake is actually very rigid, but has clearly been outgrown this season. So cutting them back versus major re-staking is the crux of my decision. Would like to keep some of the larger stems, but question whether they will ever develop the needed strength due to their very rapid growth. Know extraordinary oak growth seems to recover strength... if it survives the winter ice... but not so sure on my shrub tree :-)
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bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Roselee, Thanks - your experience is a great help. Thought it was done blooming, but the recent rain seems to have kicked off another round. It was flowering in the 1 gal pot and has done so off and on since planting, but have never seen it set seed. Will remember to trim them off when (if?) it starts doing this.

Are those two trunks in the second photo your mature kidneywood? Would like to keep 3 or 4 trunks, so will get some longer stakes and give the large ones more time to firm up. They've gone from just under 2 ft tall to around 7 (when not flopping) in exactly two years.

PS. Appreciate the photos of your single trunk seedling tree - good to know they can be trained this way and look so nice.
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Yes, the two trunks are of the mature kidney wood. Come to think of it the sprouts are coming up from a third trunk that was cut off because it was in the way of the path so it seems the Kidneywood doesn't keep trying to sprout from the bottom all its life like some varieties of Crape myrtles do, but does try to regrow cut off trunks, at least for awhile.

It's a lovely ornamental tree. Everyone whose climate permits should have it.
bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw thanked roselee z8b S.W. Texas
bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
Original Author
10 years ago
Nice - didn't know the bark also becomes that attractive. Am pretty certain they are reliably root-hardy in north Texas given a well draining spot, but still wondering if our extreme lows will cause major die-back. Last two winters have not posed much of a test. Still nice even if trimmed by the weather every few years.