Morning Cloud Chitalpa
× Chitalpa tashkentensis 'Morning Cloud'
“Two chitalpas — desert-tough with orchid-like blooms.”
Background
× Chitalpa tashkentensis is an intergeneric hybrid of desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) and catalpa, first created by Nikolai Rusanov at the Uzbek Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden in Tashkent in 1964 and introduced to the US by Robert Hebb of the New York Botanic Garden in 1977. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden named it in 1991 (Walter Wisura and Tom Elias), selecting the pink-flowered 'Pink Dawn' (Clone #1) and the larger, pale-pink-to-white 'Morning Cloud' (Clone #2). Recent work suggests the two clones may have different catalpa parents. The hybrid is sterile, so it never makes messy seed pods.
Distinguishing traits
Fast-growing deciduous small tree, 20-30 ft, with a broad oval crown; 6-in lanceolate leaves, dull green above and fuzzy beneath. 'Morning Cloud' bears abundant clusters of white to pale-pink orchid-like trumpet flowers with purple nectar guides, May through fall. The UA arboretum describes chitalpa as a fast-growing deciduous tree of 20-30 feet with linear leaves and large trumpet-shaped pink flowers in the hot season.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- n/a — ornamental
- Cold hardiness
- USDA zones 6-9; hardy to about 0°F. Freezes are no concern.
- Heat tolerance
- Bred for hot arid climates; one of Phoenix's most heat-tolerant flowering trees, handling reflected heat from walls and pavement.
- Water
- Low to moderate; 1-2 deep irrigations per week in peak summer once established; little to no supplemental water needed November through March. The UA arboretum rates water use as moderate and recommends mini-oasis or transition-zone planting.
- Soil
- Well-drained; struggles where soil stays wet (powdery mildew in shade or humidity).
- Sun exposure
- Full sun for best bloom. The UA arboretum notes it does best in partial shade and may drop leaves in dry hot summers, regrowing with monsoon moisture.
Where to buy
- Three Timbers (Phoenix, AZ)