Brazilian Rain Tree

BonifaceVIII

The thing seems to be creeping low instead of going upwards, what should I do? I thought about cutting it back slightly, but it's very young, only about 4 months old.

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RonMartin(deceased)

Put it out in the full sun. They do like that. In twenty years it will look like this or better.

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BonifaceVIII

But I do have it in full sun. However it's inside under a grow light, the humidity is heavy and it sits above a dish of water. Should it still be outside? Seems, to be growing fine, but in wrong direction.

RonMartin(deceased)

Not sure I understand. You have it inside in full sun but under a growlight. )

The tree will grow towards the brightest light. Maybe your grow light is shading it from the real sunlight.
Now to get serious for a moment.
The raintree will do best outside in full sun as long as the temperature is above 40 degrees f.

BonifaceVIII

Well, its dirrectly under my grow light. So it's in full sun kinda, well, I'll put it outside and see what it'll do. But if I cut it back slight it wouldn't try to grow upward?

Jay

Bonaface, Make no mistake about it....Anything but Direct Sun Light.... is NOT .

Growing under grow lights is not as good as the sun! Growing in a window is not as good as growing under the sun! Somethings just cannot be reproduced by us.

Listen to Ron... he knows from where he speaks!

Jay

__________________
A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49...
Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing

bnsaijim

They tend to show stronger tendency for side growth than upward growth, at least at younger stages. Bonsai Today showed pictures in their natural environ- typically low growing along the beach with sinuous trunks.

Water trays will do very little to raise humidity levels. And ditto on the lights- okay for winter but outside is better.

They will do very well outdoors- we have an excellent climate for this species. It might drop it's leaves when you first move it- may wamt to shade it for the first week or two. You will certainly have to water more frequently.

You want to develop bulk and taper in the trunk appropriate for the size- that means free growth, regardlesss of the direction...

Jim Stone
TX

BonifaceVIII

Thanks for the advice, I guess I'll move it outside and see what it does, when this damn rain stops.

Muniz

I think that "Brazilian rain tree" is a very imprecise denomination to this species, it is a result of a low comprehension about botanical nomenclature by you.
But do not care, outside Brasil, where we know these trees very well, is very common this kind of errors. As generally, you receive seeds without the proper legal considerations, you do not have the knowledge to put this tree in a correct classification way.
With this popular name "Brazilian rain tree" (wrong and vague), some species tree can be included, all of them in legume family, Leguminosae:

1 - Caesalpinia echinata - a symbol here in Brasil, it is a native tree used centuries ago for staining purposes (red stain). Popular names - Pau-brasil, brasileto, ibirapitanga.
2 - Caesalpinia ferrea - Popular name - Pau-ferro.
3 - Caesalpinia peltophoroides - Popular names - Sibipiruna, Sibipira, coração-de-negro.
4 - Caesalpinia pulcherrima - Common in Central America too. Popular names - Flamboiamzinho, barba-de-barata, flor-de-pavão.

You can see in the Photo attached, a tree from Pedro Morales, a JAL 100 winner - 2001 contest. These species tree is very difficult to work as bonsai, because high growing pattern, with a strong apical dominance.

So, if you want to speak in a good manner, use the popular names provided above.

Best wishes,

Muniz