Albizia Julibrissin (Silk Tree)

markgander15050 · October 2023

Wondering if anyone can help?
We brought this plant online & it looked in great health but over the last few months the leaves have started going brown & shrivelling & dropping & also some of the small branches have fallen off. I keep it watered once a week if needed & regularly sprayed.

Fairygirl · October 2023

It won't be able to stay in that tiny pot. It's probably starving. You'll need to pot it on or plant it out, depending on your conditions.

There's no point randomly spraying a plant if you don't have a reason - ie you need to know what you'd be spraying it for.
If it's been inside all that time, that also won't help it. They aren't hardy everywhere in the UK, so whether it can go outside will depend on your location. Otherwise, it may need a greenhouse for winter, but outside in summer.

Busy-Lizzie · October 2023

Where do you keep it? Is it still in that pot? It looks as though it is indoors. It isn't a tree that can be kept in a pot.

Albizzias are big trees, up to 40 metres tall, that like to be planted outside in the sun. When young they need protecting from frost. Yours looks very young, but they grow fast when happy. They are pretty when they flower, fluffy pink flowers, but it makes a bit of a mess on the lawn when the flowers finish and drop off.

markgander15050 · October 2023

Fairygirl said:

It won't be able to stay in that tiny pot. It's probably starving. You'll need to pot it on or plant it out, depending on your conditions.
There's no point randomly spraying a plant if you don't have a reason - ie you need to know what you'd be spraying it for.
If it's been inside all that time, that also won't help it. They aren't hardy everywhere in the UK, so whether it can go outside will depend on your location. Otherwise, it may need a greenhouse for winter, but outside in summer.

I’m not to sure about these trees & my partner brought it as she’s from Sardinia & have them over there. I live on the south coast near Brighton. I was spraying it because I read they need high humidity & wasn’t sure if to put it outside this time of year because if the colder weather as it’s been inside since we received it. But thank you so much for you reply & information

markgander15050 · October 2023

Busy-Lizzie said:

Where do you keep it? Is it still in that pot? It looks as though it is indoors. It isn't a tree that can be kept in a pot.

Albizzias are big trees, up to 40 metres tall, that like to be planted outside in the sun. When young they need protecting from frost. Yours looks very young, but they grow fast when happy. They are pretty when they flower, fluffy pink flowers, but it makes a bit of a mess on the lawn when the flowers finish and drop off.

Thank you for your reply & information

it’s still in that pot at the moment & indoors as wasn’t sure to put outside this time of year since we’ve had it indoors until now. But yes they are beautiful trees when fully grown.

Fairygirl · October 2023

It might be fine outside in your location, but in the meantime it'll need a bigger pot, if the roots are filling that one.
It may well need humidity, so perhaps a bathroom or similar would be better - not something I could have here so someone else may be able to advise on that.

Once weather is suitable, it'll need to be outdoors, but as @Busy-Lizzie says - it may not suit being potted long term so it will need to go in the ground at some point. As it's still small, you'll need to judge it next year, but it should be big enough to plant out in spring or summer

Obelixx · October 2023

They grow outside here in the Vendée too and cope with heat and drought once established but ours always loses a few of the smaller branches to frost in colder winters so you'll need to protect yours till it's bigger. They are deciduous and so it willlose its leaves in autumn but you still need to protect it while bare.

You need to pot it on to a bigger pot - one or two sizes at a time so you don't overwhelm it - every time you see roots at the base. Use a good, loam based compost rather than multi-purpose as they need good drainage.

Busy-Lizzie · October 2023

They grow outside here in SW France. Gets cold here in winter but they survive. A young one needs protection. As I said, they need sunshine. If you have kept it indoors for a few months no wonder it isn't happy.

Loxley · October 2023

There's no need to rush to re-pot it IMO. That's the pot you bought it in. In fact it looks generously sized to me, I don't know what the others are talking about (sorry guys). It won't be growing at all between now and late spring. Perhaps at that point you could put it in a slightly larger pot? Or plant it out. They are best suited to a sheltered outdoor position, frost free ideally. They will shed their leaves in autumn and come back into leaf in very late spring.

The RHS recommend this as a suitable tree for pots.

markgander15050 · October 2023

Loxley said:

There's no need to rush to re-pot it IMO. That's the pot you bought it in. In fact it looks generously sized to me, I don't know what the others are talking about (sorry guys). It won't be growing at all between now and late spring. Perhaps at that point you could put it in a slightly larger pot? Or plant it out. They are best suited to a sheltered outdoor position, frost free ideally. They will shed their leaves in autumn and come back into leaf in very late spring.

The RHS recommend this as a suitable tree for pots.

Thank you so much for this information & advise. The roots are not showing through the bottom of the pot right now, so will just keep an eye on it.

Busy-Lizzie · October 2023

Either the RHS haven't been to France and seen them growing @Loxley, or they are thinking of trying it as a bonsai? Yet they say it grows 4 to 8 metres tall and I know they grow just as wide. I made a typo in my first post, should be 4m, not 40m. However that is a small one, they can grow double that.

The main point I made was that it was kept indoors in the summer when it likes to be outside in the sun. It isn't a houseplant.

Albizia Julibrissin (Silk Tree)

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