'ala'a
Planchonella sandwicensis · Sapotaceae
'ala'a (Planchonella sandwicensis) is a perennial tree in the Sapotaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 11 and warmer, down to about 40°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 40 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Flower color | Green USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 11 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | canopy Derived |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. Its cold limit is zone 11.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 40 ft, making it a substantial woody plant.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour.
What the site needs to provide
It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 36 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed, cuttings and sprigs. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period.
Role in a guild
Canopy. In a layered planting this is the tallest layer of a planting — it sets the light budget everything beneath it lives on. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- Alexandrian laurel Calophyllum inophyllum
- stinkingtoe Hymenaea courbaril
- mammee apple Mammea americana
- Sierran palm Prestoea acuminata
- Puerto Rico royal palm Roystonea borinquena
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol PLSA2, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Tolerance of wet soil.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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