Native Plants

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Monday - July 12, 2010

From: Fredericksburg, TX
Region: Select Region
Topic: Compost and Mulch, Diseases and Disorders, Shrubs
Title: Death of mature Eve's necklace in Fredericksburg, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

A friend mentioned his mature Eve's necklace had died this year. The next day I walked past my own mature Eve's necklace(about 5 years old)and it was dead! What could have happened? Thanks.

ANSWER:

This falls in the category of "what's the matter with my dead plant?" It could have been anything from misdirected herbicide intended for lawn weeds to bad drainage to old age. It is very likely that the unexpected low temperatures we had in Central Texas last winter could be the culprit. All we can do is tell you what conditions the plant flourishes under and say that, if it wasn't freeze damage, whatever you did wrong, next time don't do it.

Styphnolobium affine (Eve's necklacepod) has a light requirement of part shade. We consider sun to be 6 or more hours of sun a day, part shade to be 2 to 6 hours of sun per day, and shade to be less than 2 hours of sun per day, so both plants could have been under- or over-exposed to sunlight. Please note that this plant must have good drainage to survive. It's a good idea to prepare the hole in advance, working in some compost, leaf mould or other organic material to contribute to good drainage. If good drainage is not provided, the plant will typically get chlorotic, leaves turning pale green, and fail to thrive, or even to survive. It is a perennial, deciduous plant, growing from 12 to 36 feet in height. It should be grown alone; if there are larger plants nearby, it will become spindly.

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