Dwarf Weeping Barbados Cherry - Malpighia pendiculata

I got this Malpighia from a friend after it was dropped off at our Botanical Gardens like a baby on the doorsteps. It's about 30 inches tall. I've had it for a couple of years but I haven't done anything with it yet except strenghten it, so it's more of a bush in a pot than it is a bonsai. But that seems to have paid off because it's blooming like crazy this year so I thought I'd post pictures.

I grew up in a bonsai club in north Florida, and remember the 'old folks' always bringing small Malpighias home from conventions but nothing ever seemed to come of them. I don't recall ever seeing a good, big Malpighia bonsai on display, in a collection or in print. Do any of our Florida (and other tropical area) people have any pics to share?

All I know is that it doesn't appreciate cold weather and really doesn't come back to life until our nights get really hot. It will start to show stress as our nights cool in October. If anyone has some cutural info, "dos/don'ts" or helpful hints about Malpighia they could share I'd really appreciate it. (How hard can I cut it back? Will it pop on old wood? Does it wire well?)

Russell

Russel, that’s a decent Malpighia. Most are pencil thin cuttings (like mine). However, there are several now in Florida that came from Puerto Rico where there is a variety that grows rather stout and large. Also in the Yucatán area of Mexico another variety of Malphigia grow that is quite large and usually multi-trunked. I used to have photos on my blog until the database was corrupted.

Sorry i'm of no help, but i had to comment on how beautiful this tree is. It has nebari to die for, and if it's only 30 inches then it has alot of branches (ramification). And the flowers are gorgeous, i don't really understand what is going on with them but there is yellow, white, pink and clumped. They almost remind me of lilac. I don't know alot about judging, but this tree looks like it could be a show stopper. Beautiful potential.

Russell,

here is an image of 1 of 4 of roots that were separated. Just done this year and will need about 5 years to see how much I can tighten and densify these shrubs. About 12 inches tall. It will bloom to the point where no leaves can be seen.
I live on the island of Trinidad [ next to Venezuela,] tropical.

Soil is my standard, sifted all, crushed red brick,sharp sand,home made compost and these days ground coconut meant for hydroponics.The idea is a soil that drains quickly,but can retain moisture in the compost,cocopeat and the porous red brick.

Placement can be full sun or light over head shade.

Excessive rain turns the leaves yellowish.

Fertilizer is diluted lawn fertilizer and in the rainy season [ June to December ] an Osmocote type lasting for 8 months at 30 deg.c Lazy man's way of handling feeding in the wet weather.
Hope this helps.
Khaimraj

Russel, that's the biggest malphigia I've ever seen. Very pretty! Would you consider taking a picture of it with a solid background? Those flowers are stunning! Great nebari!
Todd

Thanks guys.

Here are a couple of (slightly) better pictures. It's a pretty screwed up composition, but it was free so I'm not complaining. What you're seeing are 2 separate twin trunk trees that are placed really badly in relation to each other. I don't think I could get them apart, and I'm not sure it would be an improvement if I could. To make matters worse, the big tree has a crazy branch with lots of movement and then this terrible straight leader with a poof on top. It's big and it blooms well, that's about as much as I can say. To be honest I'm not really even sure about the front. Plenty of backs, but no fronts! I guess I'll start wiring and see what happens. Maybe it will turn out better than I think.

Thanks again Rob and Khaimraj.

R

Russell,

Years ago I had the mother plant out of Chase Rosade's nursery,sometime in the early 80's, and it looked like what you have, save it was about 14 inches tall and had a 1 inch trunk. At home in tropics I did something correctly and in a few weeks I had a tree so dense that it resembled a Chinese elm with a gazillion flowers. Sadly, I don't know what I did and by the yearly repotting it began to fade away.

Fortunately, I planted a few cuttings around the yard, now I am harvesting off of the roots and allowing the roots to regenerated, to keep the trunk size. I want to see if I can hit an optimum of 3 inches trunk and 14 inches or so of height.

Re-starting the tests with properly graded soil.

Anyhow, I will make an effort to let you know how the densification technique goes.
Getting height / length is no problem,as it happens naturally.
Best of luck in your efforts.
Khaimraj

*When that shrub is in full bloom, the effect is stunning and the scent is heavenly.

Hi Rusell.
nice tree....i have one but no flowers a this season, il post it with flowers.
...well, never mind the tree. but what caught my attention is your new photo...looking great.


regards,
jun

Russell,

Such a nice tree!!!! Are you sure about the species name "Pendiculata". I've been doing some research and have not found any technical reference sites (International Plant Name Index) to that being a recognized species of Malpighia. Would be nice to know the real identity of that lovely tree!

Randy,

I'm not sure about anything! I think I got that name from googling "malpighia bonsai". The first site to come up is http://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/malpighia.html. It lists 3 species, "pendiculata" being one of those 3. But when I do that search now I see what appears to be the same thing called "punicifolia" a little further down the list at http://www.rareflora.com/malpiguiapun.htm. Is that what you're thinking?

Maybe "pendiculata" is an old name that got changed along the way. Taxonomists like to screw around with names, like how they rearrange the grocery store just when you figure out where everything is!

Russell

Russell,

Punicifolia I found listed at Purdue University http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_cherry.html#Description and they have a good write up on it. They even call it Barbados cherry. They don't have a picture of the flowers but do have a pic of the cherries and leaves. To my eye the leaves are not of the same character of yours but that could be a cultivar difference. From the places I've visited it appears that there are at least 100 malpighia's. I agree those taxonomists drive me nuts. I do make an attempt to keep up but boy it's difficult.

Fellahs,

as it was given to me for Bonsai.

glabra is the West indian or Barbados cherry - which I believe almost grows up to lower Texas ?
Down here it is about 18 feet tall and 24 or so feet wide. Nice 12 inch diameter trunks. Got an old one, over 50 years old in the back yard, came with the house. Sweet cherries.

punicifolia is Russell's own

coccigera is a thorny leaf type - Singapore holly.

There are different forms of punicifolia, weeping and non weeping. Coccigera comes as a tiny thorny leaf and a leaf about twice the size of the thorny one, with no thorns. This shrub is a pain to grow as it easily suffers from root rot. The bigger leaf type, I have seen with a 6" diameter trunk, but the digging out of the shrub killed it.

The punicifolia is heavenly in bloom with scent.

Please note my latin spelling maybe off.
Stay well.
Khaimraj

Russell,
Nice tree. I too have never seen a very large specimen of this material.
Keep up the good work.
Jerry
www.bonsaihunk.us

Thanks Y'all.

We had an unusually cool week last week, and it's 48 degrees outside this morning. Maybe we'll actually see some fall color this year before Christmas. Anyway, this tree is heading to a friend's greenhouse. I really want to do some wiring and see where it goes, but I think I better wait until May or June.

R

Russell,

This is a M. Pendiculata. Pendulum malpighia has a creeping/weeping habit and bears fruit the size of a pea.

Larger, commercially viable Malpighias are: Malpighia Glabra (sometimes M. Emarginata) and Malpighia Punicifolia. Some may argue that the aforemetioned species are the same, but it is not so. Malpighia Punicifolia has red flowers, pointed leaves and smaller fruit. Malpighia Glabra, on the other hand, have pink flowers, rounded leaves and larger fruit.

As far as the so called Singapore holly, it grows in basically all of the Caribbean Islands in limestone thickets. As far as difference in leaf type, it depends. I have over 30 trees of this species, and some are quite large. Some were collected with rouded leaves, without their distinctive thorns. After being exposed to the sun, the signature serrated margins emerged. I think leaf variations are directly linked to climate.

All Malpighias have one thing in common; Root Nematodes. This can easily be eliminated by adding crab,shrimp or lobster shells to the soil mix. Once bacteria break down the shells, the microorganisms that much on them will not discriminate, and will eat the nematodes. You might also opt to add a small amount of brown sugar to the mix, as nematodes despise it.

Kind regards,

Jose Luis