Plants: x Chitalpa tashkentensis 'Pink Dawn' - chitalpa

Need a tree flowering in summer, ideally with an exotic look? Then chitalpa is the best choice! This beautiful and hardy hybrid was created in 1964 in Uzbekistan. It is a cross between Desert Willow with rather exotic flowers and northern Catalpa.

The orchid-like flowers are pale to bright pink with a yellow throat and frilled margins. Narrowly elongated leaves are 10-20 cm long, mid green, and look like peach tree leaves.

It does not require pruning but should you want to prune, trim or shape the tree, cut no more than a third of last year´s branches, in early spring. It grows medium slow to medium fast. If injured in winter or pruned hard it grows rapidly and makes strong, non-breaking branches that seldom bear flowers the same summer.

It needs direct sunlight and a hot summer for abundant flowering. Withstands drought once established. No special soil required. Some sources say it freezes in zone 6, however, it has proved no damage in -25°C with no injury in our garden. Fully hardy to -27°C (USDA zone 5b).

Usual height and width: 3-5m
Leaves: deciduous broadleaf
Size/type: taller shrub
Colour of leaves: green
Blooming time: June - September
Location: full sun
Flowers: showy
USDA zone (lowest): 5b (down to -27°C)
Colour of flowers: pink
Belongs to categories: Deciduous broadleaf, Summer blooms