Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
Eastern Africa, Madagascar
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
13
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Screen Cottage and Informal Garden
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
550.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink, Hot Pink, Magenta, Rose
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Cordate
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Formal Garden, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Whole plant
Other Uses
Dried heads are used in floristry, Grown for shade
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
DOMBEYA wallichii
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Pinkball, Pink ball tree, Tropical hydrangea
River Birch
In Hindi
Pink Ball Tree
River Birch
In German
Pink Ball Tree
Fluss Birch
In French
Pink Ball Tree
Birch river
In Spanish
Pink Ball Tree
river Birch
In Greek
Pink Ball Tree
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
Pink Ball Tree
river Birch
In Polish
Dombeja Wallicha
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
Pink Ball Tree
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malvales
Fagales
Family
Sterculiaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Dombeya
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Dombeyoideae
-
Number of Species
13
1
27800
👆🏻