Download Pyramid Bush - Native Plant Society of Texas

PLANT OF THE MONTH: Pyramid Bush
Other common names: Teabush, broomwood
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Melochia tomentosa
FAMILY: Sterculiacaea (Cacao Family)
Type: Deciduous perennial, erect herbaceous shrub with a woody base. Forms irregularly rounded mound
of medium to medium-fine texture.
Natural Habitat: Dry, open places on rocky limestone hills, coastal thickets and savanna in South Florida
and the southern third of Texas, through Mexico, Caribbean region and south to Brazil.
Growth: Growing 4-5’ tall in the Rio Grande Valley, but often half or less under cultivation, and will
freeze back to the base each winter.
Deer Resistance: Cage to protect it from being eaten during times of drought.
Wildlife: Attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds as a source of nectar.
Light Tolerance: Best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade.
Flowers: Arranged in few flowered cymes, each with 5 un-fused pink to pinkish-purple petals with 5
stamens, 3/8 – 5/8 inches long on new growth, blooming from May to frost.
Leaves: broadly ovate, rhombic to nearly deltoid, simple, margins serrate-dentate, arrangement alternate.
Entire leaf and young stems covered in fuzzy pubescence.
Fruit: Small, ¼” or less, long 5 chambered capsule, containing pyramid shaped seeds.
Water Requirements: Low, avoid excess irrigation, as there is a tendency for crown and root rot in wet
soil.
Soil Requirements: Rocky or sandy well-drained soils
Propagation: Collect seeds throughout the blooming season, air dry a few days before sewing, though
information is lacking on growing from seed. According to Nokes, cuttings from semi-hardwood will root
within 3 weeks, pretreated with IBA talc and placing under mist.
PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS: Space plants 2-5 feet apart depending on desired results. Dig a hole at least
two times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in the nursery container. Sides of the hole should be
irregular, not smooth. Remove plant from container, taking care to support the root ball. Loosen exterior roots
gently with your fingers. If the plant is root-bound and cannot be loosened by hand, the outer roots may be cut in
several places. Lift the plant by the root ball and place into the hole. Backfill the hole, using soil that was dug out.
Do not add any soil to the top of the root ball. Gently firm the soil with your hands, but do not tamp it down. Place
1-2 inches of mulch over the bare soil around, but not touching the base of the plant.
WATERING INSTRUCTIONS: Water deeply after planting to settle soil around roots then every 7-10 days as
needed, during the first growing season. Before watering, check for soil moisture at a depth of an inch or two at the
edge of the root ball. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to 1 inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first
fall. Reduce watering during the cool fall and winter months. In a “normal” year, no watering may be necessary
during the first fall and winter, but during a dry period, monthly watering will be needed. Second Spring and
thereafter: water monthly and during periods of drought. Once established after a few years, natives will survive
with little supplemental irrigation except in the most severe drought.
OPERATION NICE! TIP: The primary assets of the pyramid bush are its ability to grow with minimal input, a
long season of flowering and the bluish green foliage. Limited cold tolerance prevents its use in zones north of our
area. It is best used in informal landscapes that highlight xeriscaping.
Care Instructions are provided by the Native Plant Society of Texas- Boerne Chapter. Our meetings begin at
7:00 pm on the first Tuesday, September-June at the Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium. Our meetings are free
and open to the public and include social time starting at 6:30 pm. Please visit our website
www.npsot.org/boerne for other suggested NICE! Plants of the Month.