Chinaberry Tree Care
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Keir
Posted on: September 12, 2000

I purchased three chinaberry trees from you in 1998 and grew them indoors for the past two years. They suffered spider mite problems every winter during their dormant times. I finally lost two of them and have one left. I read in your catalogue this year that they have been grown successfully in coastal British Columbia so I transplanted my last tree outdoors this year and it is doing very well. I live on Denman Island between Vancouver Island and the Mainland. Do I need to do anything special to protect it during winter? I thank you in advance for any insights you may have to help me enjoy a long life for my last survivor.

Chinaberry is a fast growing tree reaching 9-12 meters (30-40 feet) in height and spread. It is considered a weedy tree in semi-tropical and tropical areas, growing along highways, fence rows and waste areas. It is common in Florida and Texas.

Chinaberry will not survive in zones colder than USDA zone 7. It is severely injured or killed by winter temperatures down to -16 degrees Celsius (-3 Fahrenheit). In zones 7 and higher, it is easy to grow, adapting to just about any situation.

Along the coastal regions of British Columbia it is reported to survive winter. We have no information on what, if any, special protection is required to winter it in B.C.

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