Toona sinensis Flamingo - Chinese Mahogany

Cedrela sinensis 'Flamingo' or Chinese Cedar, is an amazing and wonderful plant. It is very difficult not to succumb to its foliage, cut into long leaflets of an extraordinary pink in spring, standing along a magnificent column. This small tree of Chinese origin changes colour throughout the seasons, going from spring creamy-pink to bright green in summer, and then to orange-yellow at the end of the season. Winter reveals its grey and fissured bark, whose resinous aroma evokes that of cedar. It is a very beautiful tree that makes a magnificent specimen to plant in isolation. To succeed in its cultivation, it must be planted in a bright location, in fertile and moist soil, sheltered from cold winds, preferably in a mild climate.

There is confusion in the name of this tree, called according to sources Toona sinensis, Cedrela toona or Cedrela sinensis. The genus Cedrela, exclusively American, is currently separated from the genus Toona, native to the old continent. Toona sinensis or Chinese Cedar, the only commercialized species, belongs to the Meliaceae family, just like Melia azedarach. It is native to Eastern and Southern China, as well as Southeast Asia. The growth of this tree is fast, especially in the first 10 years.  

The cultivar 'Flamingo' distinguishes itself by a narrower and strongly fastigiate habit, a less significant development, and foliage whose colour varies with the seasons. As an adult, it will not exceed 10 m (33ft) in height with a spread of 2 to 3 m (7 to 10ft). It forms a slightly arched and open column. The deciduous foliage, a major asset of this variety, somewhat resembles that of the Tree of Heaven in shape. It is composed of long leaves cut into numerous ovate and pointed leaflets. Their colour is shrimp pink to coppery pink, with garnet veins and petioles in spring. They then become lighter, white-cream, before turning green in summer. The undersides of the leaves are always lighter. In autumn, the entire foliage takes on a beautiful yellow-to-orange hue. The leaves are the same size on a young subject and on a mature subject, which makes the tree very ornamental even in its early years. The insignificant flowering takes place in May-June. It forms in the axils of the leaves, in the form of small inconspicuous inflorescences, composed of tiny white-cream flowers. The remarkable bark of the Flamingo Chinese Cedar is greyish and cracks and crevices in long strips over the years. Its grey-pink wood contains a resin-like aromatic compound and is highly prized in cabinetmaking. 

The Flamingo Chinese Cedar is a semi-hardy species, capable of enduring short frosts of around -10 to -15°C (14 to 5°F) once mature. It is best to grow it in regions where the winter is rather mild and the summers sufficiently wet, and to protect it from cold winds. Plant it in isolation, or in the company of shrubs and perennials planted all around its base, choosing colours that match its foliage. For example, you can look for blue flowers to accompany its pink leaves in spring, such as irises or ceanothus. In autumn, it is the blue or mauve stars of asters that will flatter the beautiful warm tones of its foliage. Proximity to water points suits it well as long as the soil is not waterlogged.