Dombeya rotundifolia

South African wild pear
Small deciduous tree bursts into fragrant white bloom in early spring. Fast-growing, drought-tolerant and easy. Pollinator magnet. Picturesque corky bark.
height 15–25ft
width 10–15ft
tolerates Cold, Drought, Heat
water
needs
Low – Moderate
water
info
This tree should be watered deeply and regularly (when the top couple of inches of soil has dried). Usually this will mean once every week or two during dry weather. A few years after the tree has been planted, once it’s established, you can likely cut back to deep infrequent waterings. Use drippers, emitters a slow stream of water so that it doesn’t run off; allow the water to trickle all the way down through the deepest layers of soil.

Often a tree will tap into groundwater and need less watering or none at all, once established.

A great trick for watering street trees is to drill a â…›-inch hole on the bottom edge of a 5-gallon bucket, then set the bucket with the hole aligned next to the tree and fill the bucket with water. Fill once for a tree that came in a 1-to-5-gallon nursery pot, twice for a 7-to-15-gallon plant, three times for 25-gallon or larger plants.
hardy
to
20F
exposure Full Sun
indoor
outdoor
Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Planting Mix, In Pots: Potting Soil
fertilizing All Purpose
origin E Africa
california
native
No
sunset
zones
8, 9, 12–23

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Grows 3-5 feet per year!