Description
Meliosma –
There are about 25 species of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs in this genus. They occur in forest from India, and Sri Lanka to Japan, and in Mexico, Central America and Tropical South America. They produce alternate leaves that are simple, sometimes pinnate, and mid to dark green. In spring or summer it bears large panicles of tiny, cup and saucer shaped, 5 petalled, fragrant flowers. Grow as specimen plants in a shrub border or woodland garden.
Grow in moderately fertile, moist but well drained, neutral to slightly acidic soil in full sun with some midday shade. Shelter from cold drying winds.
M. veitchiorum – This slow growing, deciduous tree from Western China grows 30′ feet tall and 25′ feet wide. It is initially upright when young later becoming spreading with pinnate, dark green leaves, to 30″ long, with up to 11 ovate or oblong leaflets, and red stalks. Creamy white flowers are borne in dense panicles, to 18″ long, in late spring, followed by spherical violet fruit, to 3/8″ across.
Zones 9-11
