when was it planted ...

when i plant trees and shrubs.. all i want.. is for it to hang to its leaves for the season ... and anything else is a bonus ...

perhaps it finished its growth for the spring... what more do you expect/want ???

for the first season or two.. i presume its growing its roots... so it can get settled in.. and start growing to expectation ...

is the white stuff all around it ... native sand???

with trees we talk about tree time.. which is counted in decades ... and after a transplant.. a giant stress ... thing might be in slo mo for a year or two ... before it really starts growing ... its growing those roots ...

be patient .... and keep it properly watered ...

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

I planted it in maybe January. Stuff here in South Florida shouldn't stop growing. It usually should grow from now until fall which is just because of the tropical climate here. My three passion vines were growing and flowering in the coldest days of our winter. Yes all the white stuff is sand. Our property is very sandy but we planted the tree with Coconut Coir which seems to work very nicely with all of our tropical plants on our property. Thanks for the response Ken!

In fact, I have two other trees that were planted around the same time with no irrigation, and have both grown to my height in 2 months.

Yes, it might actually be better if it doesn't grow!

why do you say that?

oh. no. I'm subtropical. if it's contained it's perfectly fine.

What do you mean you're subtropical and that if it's contained, it's perfectly fine?? It is a listed category 1 invasive species in FL and they don't limit that to any FL location/climate. And it is not contained at all.....it is planted in the ground!!

Chinaberry is terribly invasive here in west central FL, and before I knew better and allowed a few seedlings to grow in my yard, they got massive in no time, spread hundreds of seeds which all germinated all over the place and their soft wood easily snapped off huge limbs in storms, doing damage to our porch and my garden. It cost a pretty penny to have what remained cut down and it took a long time to finally kill off the stumps.

It's a shame because the flowers are pretty and smell so nice, but it's a horrible weed here - and potentially dangerous when they get large.

Personal experience here...

And some info from the university of FL:

https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/weeds-and-invasive-plants/chinaberry.html

Ok...I live on plenty of land. I've researched this tree before I planted it and I know how to "contain" it. I'm talking about trimming, removing seed pods like these native palm trees we have in Florida that spread everywhere. Its way in the back of my 3 acre property so it can't do any damage to anything on my property, including other trees.

If I could, may I have some advice on what to do if a plant isn't growing as well as it should?

Tthere are African tulip trees around my city (Naples) and they are in now at invasive because they're kept up. Just thought I would throw that out.

You can do whatever you like but planting a known and state listed invasive species is irresponsible. While the Spathodea may have naturalized to some extent in FL, it is NOT a listed invasive at this time.

I hear you all, but I think it's strange considering the fact that I see the tree in local Botanical Gardens and parks downtown. Now that I've researched it a little more, it's not a category 1. Where I live it's just a category 3 just like date palms, papayas, and jasmine.

Those little seed pods travel on the wind and end up in other people's backyards. Birds too spread the seeds. If it's invasive in one area of Florida, it's invasive in all areas of Florida.

Ok. Please. What nutrient is it missing if it's leaves are turning brown at the tips and not growing? I'm having trouble with this with many other plants on my property. Regardless of the tree (which I'm pretty sure I can judge for myself what to do with) what am I missing here?

Sounds like lack of water is your primary concern. If planted correctly and with an properly disturbed rootball (to avoid any circling or girdling roots), then lack of adequate deep water is typically the limiting factor for establishment and healthy growth. Also the primary reason for brown leaf tips.

Also there is no way to determine what - if any - nutrients may be lacking without a good soil test.

thank you. that's all I needed!

Chinaberries are eaten by birds and other animals and that's how the seeds are spread far from the trees. Unfortunately some vendors will still sell a number of plants that are problematic here.

You do not say what part of the state/zone you're in, but if it's south FL it can't be any less hospitable to such a plant than west central FL.

FWIW, I don't get selling something that can easily sprout & grow on its own without anybody's help. Whomever is selling this is either ignorant or dishonest - or perhaps both?

P.S. We are in the dry season right now, so everywhere is parched and our often fine soil turns to water repelling dust before the rainy season kicks in.

Thanks for your comment Carol. I'm in zone 10A so I guess your right. I bought it from top tropicals in fort Meyers which has some beautiful plants. I liked this one for it's leaves but I guess if it's really invasive I'll have to do away with it, but I'll research a little more and ask about it with some local gardens centers and parks that have them planted.

Wondering if you can get them to take it back...?

no. they won't. I bought it a while ago and left it in a pot

Removing the fruits is fine for preventing seeding out as long as you keep doing it. After you quit doing it, because among other likely outcomes the tree has gotten too big or you are no longer gardening the property, then what?

Yes, please compost that invasive time bomb immediately! Chinaberries are definitely 1 of the top 5 invasives here, as well, so every effort should be made to remove them...not grow 'em! Florida especially is under siege from all sorts of exotic invasives. And even if you religiously stripped every single seed off it...what happens after you die?

You got tonnnsssss of natives and noninvasive nonnatives to choose from. Please pick from them instead.

Just want to add that removing seeds may be easy at first, but eventually there will be gazillions of them and as I stated above, birds and animals will eat the fruits and spread the seeds.