Roach's Chinese Perfume Plant - Aglaia odorata

cockroach

Chumono
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The first picture I have of this plant has the date January 2015. I think I got it in summer 2014 or earliest Jan/Feb 2014.

It started out as a 5'-6' background plant in a friend's small side garden. He hacked back a group of them and didn't like where this was situated so pulled it out. He called asking if I wanted it and brought it over in the beige plastic pot.
It had three straight trunks and I had no idea what to do. It seemed a bit lob-sided as it grew next to a wooden fence so I reckoned leaning it over seemed right.

I planted it the following spring at the angle I thought was best and used styrofoam to keep the 40% of the root ball sticking skyward alive and feeding the plant. This plant is native to Taiwan so actually tough as nails here. I did not know this at the time and thought I was getting into some exotic tree here. Over the next few months I slowly exposed more and more roots. They were growing down well.

Over the next three years it was allowed to grow out and then I would chop it back. Grow chop, grow chop.....repeat. It grows pretty damn quickly.
This year I decided it was time for a better looking pot. Now, I know the pot is way to big but I will scale it down once I am happier with the design or foliage pads. I was not sure about this plant starting out but now I really like this species and may add one or two more as they look great with care and pruning. The new growth is shaped easily enough but wooded growth is quite brittle and I have lost more than a few branches.

The spring it was slanted in the pot it came in and better soil was added. It was basically, and happily, growing in clay.
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After the repot this year and some good growth.
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After a haircut. It will be left to develop a bit more and then trimmed at least once more this year.
I left the flower stalks because I can. I'll remove them after the blooms are done.
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And of course, Harry for size.
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I live in SWFL and was hoping you could tell me when the correct time of year is to repot this tree.
 

cockroach

Chumono
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These trees are pretty hardy. Cuttings showed into the ground grow.
I am planning a repot either very soon (during March) or in the middle of summer when growth slows.
 

sorce

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Still going to that squarish one?

Good Idea.

Sorce
 

penumbra

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Very interesting plant. I have a few and you have given me an excellent idea. I love the small yellow sweet smelling flowers they produce.
 

cockroach

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Still going to that squarish one?

Good Idea.

Sorce
I had to keep it in this pot until next year as the square pot got a plant that needed it more. May look for a pot for it later in the year. Now that I know where to go for them.
 

cockroach

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Very interesting plant. I have a few and you have given me an excellent idea. I love the small yellow sweet smelling flowers they produce.
I also love the fragrance. Nice tree. I need to get one, something that smells nice and starts blooming before winter is over.
These little flowers are surprisingly fragrant for their size.
 

roberthu

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Reviving an old thread: what is the best time to repot this plant? I am thinking about repotting one but right now is the middle of the summer and the high here is around 90F and the low is above 70F in the night. Is it too hot? Also is fall a safe time to repot it if I keep it indoor during the winter and keep the temp above 65F all the time? Thank you!
 

penumbra

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Reviving an old thread: what is the best time to repot this plant? I am thinking about repotting one but right now is the middle of the summer and the high here is around 90F and the low is above 70F in the night. Is it too hot? Also is fall a safe time to repot it if I keep it indoor during the winter and keep the temp above 65F all the time? Thank you!
Funny you should mention it. I have 3 small ones and a large tree like one and I was wondering the same thing. I re potted one toady and gave it to a friend. I put the other small ones on the work bench and am just now pondering the large one.
We will see.
 

roberthu

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Funny you should mention it. I have 3 small ones and a large tree like one and I was wondering the same thing. I re potted one toady and gave it to a friend. I put the other small ones on the work bench and am just now pondering the large one.
We will see.
That was good timing for me to ask! Please post how it turns out! Thank you!
 

cockroach

Chumono
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Reviving an old thread: what is the best time to repot this plant? I am thinking about repotting one but right now is the middle of the summer and the high here is around 90F and the low is above 70F in the night. Is it too hot? Also is fall a safe time to repot it if I keep it indoor during the winter and keep the temp above 65F all the time? Thank you!
I don't think that is too hot. Those are our spring temps so don't think it is too hot. Keep it a bit shaded and give it water. The leaves on this plant are an easy indicator as to how its doing. I have not noticed much growth in fall so can not comment on repotting then. However, in spring or early summer it really goes for it.

I have seen landscape companies here cut large, 10'+ trees down to stub branches and a height of about 4~5', reduce a root mass to 1.5' across and shove it in a pot. It stalls, and sson enough grows ape again. This is in mid summer here with temps up to 36C or 96F and HIGH humidity with lots of rain.
 

roberthu

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I don't think that is too hot. Those are our spring temps so don't think it is too hot. Keep it a bit shaded and give it water. The leaves on this plant are an easy indicator as to how its doing. I have not noticed much growth in fall so can not comment on repotting then. However, in spring or early summer it really goes for it.

I have seen landscape companies here cut large, 10'+ trees down to stub branches and a height of about 4~5', reduce a root mass to 1.5' across and shove it in a pot. It stalls, and sson enough grows ape again. This is in mid summer here with temps up to 36C or 96F and HIGH humidity with lots of rain.
Wow! Thank you for sharing that. I guess it is a subtropical plant so it should tolerate heat relatively well.
 
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