I would give it one more year. With that said, thinking about a possible new tree is always exciting. Purple leafed redbud?, Fringed flower tree?, Anacahuita tree?, Palo verde?. Retama?, Texas Hawthorn? I saw the other day a beautiful Chilean mesquite at Barton Springs Nursery. There are many options.

Omar

Mine is looking bad too. I think two wet years with intermittent drought has been really hard on this threes. We are going to dry out sometime. It is Texas after all.

Mine was so damaged in the ice storm last winter I ended up cutting it down and poisoned the stump, it was getting too big for the space which also influenced the decision but I sure miss the flowers. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center says to cut them back by 1/3 in winter to encourage more branches and flowering which I considered doing but in the end I decided the tree was too far gone with too many main branches broken. You might try doing that but if it still looks bad next year, take it out.

I think the massive water that we have had rots the reeder roots and then they have nothing when it gets dry. The trees need to grow new feeder roots. I am going to cut mine back.

Thanks to all for your ideas. I'm thinking that cutting it back is an excellent idea. It has some deep gashes on some of the main branches caused by this spring's hail. Do you think I should I try to cut below them?

Roselee, oh my, that bark really looks injured. I would be leaning toward cutting it back past those spots and then selectively pruning it for shape once it starts forming new branches. I'm wondering if the injured bark might be the problem? Maybe its so damaged it can't get water up to feed the top? You might try posting on the tree forum and see what they say over there, maybe an expert will chime in.

Dbarron, thank you for the suggestion of the chitalpa tree. There's a beautiful specimen that's been growing for years at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, but I haven't thought about it for awhile.

Thanks Texasranger. Instead of asking on the tree forum I think I'll just cut it back below the scaring and as you say be selective about pruning for good branching. I've done that with the Mexican Olive that broke in half this summer during a heavy rain and it's back full size.

I'll leave it for now and cut it back in late winter so the leaves can gather all the energy they can toward re-growing the root system.

If it's not doing well by this time next year I'll consider removing it and going with something else.

Much appreciation for all the replies! You've given me lots of good ideas in order to make a decision.

I would cut back, then see if it improves next spring. I removed my Desert Willow after 9 years or so of waiting for improvement.....it never same. I have since replaced it with Buttered Popcorn cassia and have not regretted my decision, although it was a tough one to make.

Molly

Molly, thank you for relating your experience. In a way, gardening is a ongoing long term research project. I'm glad for all of you who help in that.

Very interesting! I have tried several times to get this tree established near Giddings (south central area - very dry there). I've planted three different ones in different areas and they simply don't thrive and it 's pretty frustrating as stuff planted there has to be very drought tolerant and I thought this would be a good choice. Even the one I planted several years ago when it was dry (yet got regular water to get established) just withered away. I have one more in a pot that I already have so I'll try that one but then I give up on this variety!

Might have to try the Chitalpa.

Yes Texaslynn, it seems Desert willows are a little pickier about growing conditions than I thought. Growing along side of streams in their natural habitat they want some water, but they must be in well drained soil. Rain enough to produce 7 ft Alocasias like this is going to be too much for them if they are not elevated and mine isn't ...

Incidentally, my upright elephant ears get an 'interesting' leaf color variation in my alkaline soil. Oh well, may as well appreciate it ...

On the other hand, my excuse for including this photo is that our young, but almost three year old Cedar elm tree, has loved the rain and has grown enough to hang a bird cage from the lower limbs ...

Other trees have grown tremendously as well. The question is: how is their size going to be supported when dry weather returns?

I totally agree.......all my young trees (except for the Desert Willow!!) grew so much it was wonderful. It's going to be a bit depressing when the normal dry conditions return and I live in mortal fear that another horrible drought will happen again. I love your little path picture - looks very inviting!

By the way, the Desert willows at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens didn't look any better than mine. Actually the foliage was even more sparse with dead twigs all over the branches. Guess it was not a good year for them anywhere around here.

I have not said "So it goes"****** yet.

******** what Kurt Vonnigut says every time after someone dies in "Slaughterhouse-house 5". Lots of dying in that book.

I did look for a chitalpa, as someone above suggested but couldn't find a source for it. Strange how plants that you think will do well, don't and those that you think won't, do. I can't get those darn desert willows to do anything yet the pine trees, that I had serious doubts about in the alkaline area, are growing like gangbusters. Go figure.......

I agree that our Desert Willows are a bit sparse with the white ones being the most sparse. Crazy thing is that there's a desert willow that overhangs the entrance into the conservatory that is always leafed and blooms immensely. I like to think he may be Bubba Prime.

Mara, I've never read the book, but see that are lots of quotes from it on the Internet. "So it goes" is a lot like "It came to pass"; the fate of just about everything in the garden and elsewhere ... :-)

Texaslynn, I looked at the Chitalpa tree at the SABG last Sunday. It looks pretty sparse too, and with some limbs that looked like they might be dead. It is a very large spreading tree. I might have some pictures of it taken years ago when it was very beautiful. I will look.

Joey, wished I had known to look for the one you mention. I will next time. Thanks.

I had to mail order mine this spring. Paid a pretty penny, but given how it's grown, I don't regret it. I look forward to further evaluation over next couple of years (I've read about them doing generally poorly since posting..but hard to believe with how vigorous mine seems to be).

Ragna, my take is that " So it goes" is used time and time again in the book. until it becomes an inevitable prayer for the dead but also, a needed vehicle to distance and minimize the pain to the psyche so he can continue onwards. I often think it when I rip out a withered carcass in the garden..

I grow several different cultivars of chilopsis and they all have cycles of looking exactly like your pictures. I trim some back and they flush out full again the next spring. I love the blooms, but they look ratty half the time and break easily w/ wind or ice. I have a smaller growing one introduced by Benny Simpson- called snow storm or white storm ( can't remember the exact name). It blooms white and does not grow as lanky as the larger ones. I grew the chitalpa in Missouri and have watched a planting of them at a bank in San Marcos- they end up ratty at times- same as chilopsis

Hi...I hope you don't mind a thread resurrection...

My desert willow isn't doing well the past three years either. Fewer flowers and the leaves seem to be shrinking...

I'm wondering if a heavy prune is in order to see if it can be saved...

I get the the conditions are not ideal (in a low area so when it rains, it can stay soggy there for a while), but I have deep love for this tree...you all understand..

Roselee, How did yours do?

Is the consensus to take it back by a third (like a crapemyrtle???)

Hi pennydesign! I heaved a big sigh and took mine out. I felt that it was never going to get as much sun and drainage that it needed to look it's best. I may be wrong, but seems that even in ideal conditions they're going to look a little raggedy at times. It seems a lot of them suffered because of the drought and then we had all that rain which rotted the roots.

In your case I'd probably give it a good trim and see how it does this year.

Keep us posted!

Thanks so much roselee! I'll probably give it one more year and then we'll see. It was sooooo beautiful in the past and I've watched it slowly take on a more...pained appearance. I'm not even sure if it flowered at all last summer...

I'll keep the hope that it loves us and wants to stay!

I think I've pretty much given up on this tree and I've tried three or four different times, with different trees in different locations. It obviously didn't like it anywhere on my property, lol. Good luck with yours - someone must have success with this tree, maybe you'll be the one!