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RE: Virgilia diviaricata tree

Posted 795 days ago

You will find pictures of this tree by going to Google images. Type in the name but spell divaricata minus the second "i" that you have in your post title.

I couldn't find much useful info about it on the net either but my books say......

Small evergreen tree. Grows rapidly to a mature height of about 6mt with horizontal branches. It grows clusters of pink pea shaped flowers in spring followed by flat pods. It comes true to type when grown from seed.
Cultivation: Very adaptable, they grow best in an open, sunny position and well drained soil. They cope well with wind and suit warm climates, as they are frost tender, particularly when young. Propagate in spring from seed presoaked in warm water for 24 hours.

Any other info you need you'll have to get from Bunnings where you bought it.

Life for gardeners would be so much easier if the necessary information was included on plant tags.

RE: Virgilia diviaricata tree

Posted 787 days ago

Thanks Pomolo.
I agree that plant tags can be quite vague in their descriptions.

The plant has got a bit of room where it is anyways, so i'll just leave it there and see how it goes.
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Wanna share info!

RE: Virgilia diviaricata tree

Posted 773 days ago

I have a virgillia capensis which grew very fast but is currently dying after 5 years, I was told if a tree grows fast it dies fast,,,good luck
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RE: Virgilia diviaricata tree

Posted 434 days ago

Sorry for the belated reply.

Virgilias are a tree originating from South Africa. I was told that they were in the mimosaea family, but have learned that this is not the case - they are a species in the pea/bean family (fabacaea). However like mimoseae and acacia species, they do have a shallow but wide root system and tend to thrive in crap soil after they have been established for a good five years or so. Before that, they need a good source of water but planting in well drained soil.

I just lost a Virgilia this past weekend - it is a sad loss to my husband & I - we planted our beautiful tree 25 years ago, just after we built our house on what was once a sheep paddock (divided into 1.25 acre blocks). However, the average age for these trees is about 12-16 years.

We picked it because it is an evergreen species that grows quickly and provides shade in a short amount of time. It lived up to its reputation and grew fast and reached it's final height of about 5 meters in about five years - it got it's final 8 meters width after about 10 years.

Over the years, I would lift it's lower branches so we could get under it as the branches tend to go out quite laterally. As the tree aged, every spring I would cut out the dead wood.

This tree was the first to give us shade and beautiful perfurmed flowers almost from the beginning. This weekend, we will be cutting it up for firewood and clearing the rest away. When these trees do fall/die, it is recommended to cut them straight away as the wood goes quite hard as it dries.

We will be replacing our beloved "Virgil" with another one soon.


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Laklal