dead!

Ylang Ylang starts with ...
I brought the Ylang Ylang tree from you last year, and I've pampered it, kept it warm and covered it in frosts (Melbourne has a contrary weather pattern) . No good, the entire top, branches and leaves turned black as coal, as though burnt in an oven. What have I done wrong? Is it worth trying again under different circumstances? I'm heart broken!
Hope you can help
Sheila

Speedy says...
As Greg said,
Ylang Ylang is a chalenge in cooler regions.
Even NNSW they can be a challenge let alone Vic.
I'd go so far as to say you'd need a heated glasshouse.

Ylang ylang start suffering when temps get down to 5-8degC and dont get back up to at least 18-20degC during the day.

The common ylang ylang in that situation would need to be pruned drastically to keep it from hitting the roof.
They flower from leaf axils on lateral growth anyway so it
shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Dwarf forms do exist that will flower at less than a metre high,
though I dont know of them in Aust. (not to say they're not already here).

Another plant that has equally intoxicating perfume and while
different, I rate it in the same league, is the White Champaka (Michelia alba).
'Cempaka Putih' in Indonesia
'Champee' in Thailand

Not to be confused with the yellow Champaka (M.champaca) whos perfume is not as refined as the White C.
- kind of like comparing the balanced sweetness of Osmanthus with
the sickly 'rude, in-your-face' sweetness of Jasmine-
(scents are so difficult to describe!)
M.alba will grow outdoors in Melbourne and I've seen it in a nursery there.
They're usually grafted onto M.champaca and are expensive, but I reckon worth it.

Mine got a bit frosted here in North Victoria this year with some -3degC overnights but it's
a bit exposed atm. and I'll have no probs in future with it as things grow.


There's also climbing ylang ylang (Artabotrys hexapatalus) that
doesnt seem as sensetive to cold.
Not quite as floriferous as Cananga odorata.
There are a few at MtCoot-tha and at city Botanic gerdens in Bris.
Dont know about Sydney BG.
Could be worth a try if you can locate someone who has it.

Desmos chinensis is another climber from the same family worth tracking down
as it's popular in SE Asia for it's perfumed fls.
I haven't seen it in Aust.

Melodorum leichardtii (M.odoratum?) from NNSW rainforests is worth a look at too.
Beautifully sweet perfumed fls. , small understorey shrub, also in Anonaceae.

Speedy says...
I was at a nursery early july that was closing down.
they had a lot of Michelia alba (M.longifolia)in 60or80 litre bags
Most things were price reduced to 50%.

worth giving them a call.

http://www.denisestropicalgardens.com.au/products.php?base=21

I'd be very interested in getting the contact for the people with the Desmos chinensis, I've been looking for it for years.
Cheers ;-)

Speedy says...
Thats ok, I found it.
thanks.
Yeah, I'd lift it, pop it back into a pot, put it in a warmer and
more protected position (if there is one), till weather warms up.

Be careful though, pots are more prone to variations in temperature,
so if you dont have somewhere constantly warmer,
you may be better to leave it for now.

there are risks either way.

If it goes back into a pot, water with warm water, say 25-30degC to take the chill out of the pot.

My experience over the years with low temp sensetive trop. plants is that they can often
get through winter, only to die in late winter- spring.
Its as if they hang on , and by the time the weather warms up they're just exhausted.

Tropicdude says...


There is a "new"? hybrid variety called: Champee Si Nuan, simalar to michelia champaca but with larger flowers that are creamy orange/yellow color. I was wondering if anyone has experience with them, do they grow in pots? how is the fragrance compared to other varieties?

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Diana says...
Hi Sampa,

http://www.paraplants.com/

(just don't read the newsletter that they include with their plant orders, if you don't want to be annoyed by anti-science ranting).

Diana.

Speedy says...
yeah I know the one , in Thailand they call it 'Karaweg'.
I dont know where to get A.siamensis in Aust.
You'd be best to try FNQ,
but as i mentioned earlier in this thread,
I do know where to get A.hexapetalus.
It is easy to grow and really,
most people would't know the diference between the two.

Pieter Bekkers says...
I have 1 of 1+ varieties of A. siamensis
Virginia N.T.

Pieter Bekkers says...
There are no people in Australia who have overall experience in identifying different species in the genus Artabotrys.
My friend dr. Piya Chalermglin from Thailand is a specialist. I received from
FNQ what was supposed to be A. hexapetalus
and probably is a hybrid thereof. I received this one in good faith. I imported the seeds of A. siamensis from BKK in person. They germinated quite well and have thorn like appendages much like the hybrid hexapetalus I have. There is very little perfume on my siamensis. A little only on my hexapetalus hybrid. The real A. hexapetalus is everywhere in BKK and has no thorns and very strong pleasing perfume. It is generally without fruit, but I have seen exceptions. It is generally propagated from markots. I believe the real hex. is not present in Australia. The petals on the siamensis have little red spots on the top.

fruitist says...
I think I barked up the wrong tree, so to speak. My Ylang Ylang is Cananga odorata. I am now crawling back into my own cave again.

Pieter Bekkers says...
Of the Cananga odorata there are 2 kinds.
They are entirely different trees. They are taxonomically not legally recognised as such. Here goes. The one which is native to FNQ is Cananga odorata var. macrophylla. It is conically shaped and has a checkered history of success around Darwin. Basically it is too hot here.
This one is also native to Thailand.
I grow Cananga odorata var. genuina. It is definitely not conically shaped, but has branches hanging off it at all sorts of angles. A very untidy tree. It is in flower 100% of the time. I doubt it would grow well South of here. The other variety would have a much better chance, say in Sydney, I believe.
There are many forms of Desmos chinensis,normally yellow flowered, there are red flowered varieties.
Please call him Chinese Desmos, if you must give him a common name. The name dwarf Ylang ylang should be used only for Cananga odorata var. fruticosa. Not known to set seed in Australia, so only grown from cuttings here, with a ridiculously low strike rate.
Now on the subject of Champee si Nuan.
Its correct name is Magnolia alba x champaca. In the Darwin Botanic Gardens there is a splendid example labeled Michelia alba, I believe, next to the Wesleyan church. My friend dr Chalemglin was the first one to identify it, during his visit in 2009

Pieter Bekkers says...
Hi Megan,
The correct variety would have to be traced from Yuruga nursery near Cairns.
They sell minimum quantities of plants.
Check their website. Maybe ask them for the name of a native plant nursery in your area where they send stock,
Happy growing.