I mainly grow Summer Chocolate for the foliage contrast. The dark burgundy leaves remain much more striking in full sun and work particularly well beside green or pale-leaved plants. It does however need warmth and good drainage, so I would reserve it for a sheltered position in colder or wetter regions.
Albizia ‘Summer Chocolate’
Price range: 18,00 € through 24,00 €
A spectacular silk tree with finely divided burgundy-purple foliage and pink summer flowers. An exotic-looking small tree for warm, sunny and sheltered positions.
Pre-orders are open
No payment today. You are reserving your trees before the inventory in early August.
After inventory, we will confirm the available trees and send you a payment link.
Dispatch generally takes place from late November to February, depending on the weather and the progress of lifting the trees.
Albizia ‘Summer Chocolate’ is a distinctive Japanese selection of Albizia julibrissin, valued for its unusually dark foliage.
New leaves emerge green before developing bronze and reddish tones and finally becoming deep burgundy to chocolate-purple. The finely divided leaflets give the tree a very light, almost fern-like texture despite the dark colour. Strong sunlight generally produces the deepest foliage colour.
During summer, ‘Summer Chocolate’ produces silky flower heads with long pink and white stamens. The tree initially develops an upright, vase-shaped framework before forming a broader domed crown with age. Growth can be rapid in warm climates, although mature size is generally more restrained in cooler parts of Europe.
For the best results, plant it in full sun in a warm, sheltered position with well-drained soil. Established trees tolerate summer heat and periods of dryness, but young plants and poorly ripened shoots can be damaged by severe winter cold. Shelter from cold winds is especially useful in northern European gardens.
Variety characteristics
Discovered in 1990 by Dr Masato Yokoi in a planting of Albizia julibrissin at Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It was later protected under US Plant Patent PP13822.
Origin and identity
Seedling selection of Albizia julibrissin
Growth and adaptation
Fast growing in warm conditions, initially upright and vase-shaped before developing a broader domed crown. The original patent gives approximately 10 m high and wide under favourable conditions.
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