Toona sinensis - young tree (Chinese toon)

• A young live tree, rooted
• Sold as an ornamental and botanical collector's tree
• Packaging suited to live plants

Let us be clear on this point: Toona sinensis is not recognised as a food in France. We offer it solely as an ornamental and collector's tree, and we provide no information on any consumption use.

Toona sinensis belongs to the Meliaceae, the mahogany and neem family, and is native to China and East Asia. It is a slender tree with pinnate compound leaves that can reach around fifteen metres.

Its great ornamental asset is its spring leaf flush: the young leaves emerge a bright pink to brilliant copper, before gradually turning green. Some cultivars keep this colour for several weeks, and the effect is spectacular.

The very distinctive aroma of its young shoots comes from sulphur compounds, the same family of molecules that gives garlic and onion their character.

A hardy, undemanding tree. Ordinary, free-draining soil, sun or partial shade. It grows fast once established.

Two things to know before planting it in open ground: it readily suckers, producing shoots some distance from the trunk, and it takes up space over time. In a container, it is easily kept in check and the pink leaf flush is just as beautiful.

Cedrela or Toona sinensis?
The same plant. Toona sinensis is the currently accepted name, Cedrela sinensis the old name still widely used in the trade.

Is it hardy?
Yes, very much so, in the vast majority of the country.

Why are its leaves pink in spring?
It is a characteristic of the species when the leaves emerge. The young leaves come out coloured, then turn green within a few weeks.

Does it sucker a lot?
Enough to think about it before planting it near a bed or a path. In a container, the question does not arise.

This tree is sold as an ornamental and botanical collector's plant. Also worth exploring: our rare plants.