Hi Kasia.
Your plant is definately Murray paniculata.
Fruit/berries follow blooms. Has your tree ever flowered?

Murray is related to Citrus, therefore should be cared for the same way.

Bright light to full sun.
Well-draining, fertile, semi-acidic soil.
Citrus or Azalea fertilizer during growing season.
If possible, summered outside.

Soil should never stay continuously wet, but never dry to the point it cracks. If allowed to dry too much, leaves drop. The good news is living branches will produce new foliage if given adequite light.

When did its leaves start falling?? Which direction does window face? Can you summer outside in summer? Is it grafted?

Your Murray is nicely shaped. Once it fills out it'll be beautiful. Toni

Sorry, but I disagree, I think it's stretching way too much for the light. The Murrayas I've seen & a couple I've grown were kept much more full & bushy by pinching them or cutting them back periodically.

Am sorry to say I think this tall, spindly growth isn't very strong & if it were mine, I'd cut it back a fair amount once I saw new growth in the Spring. I'd probably also change the mix to all new soil as well.

I changed some of the soil. And right now I put it back on my own window. Ususally it would lose some leaves during winter and really come back in summer. But yea It grew crazy tall from the start. I hoped the trunk would get thicker as it grew but sadly no.

And as I said, two other 'trunks' died and were removed while it was in my parents' care. My window faces north, but due to a neighboring building i get direct sun mainly in summer when sun comes above the structure..

It's showing signs of new branches poking out of the trunk but as I said, it always grew taller and thin rather that shorter and sturdier.

It never bloomed before.

My murraya looks like yours when it gets spider mites. If you look closely, do you see any cobwebs? Bonide ALL SEASONS HORTICULTURAL SPRAY OIL seems to help (and doesn't have the gross smell of neem oil).

The dwarf form of murraya seems to bloom much more readily.

No, I haven't seen any cobwebs.

Yes, you're tree is not getting enough sunlight, so therefore just hanging on.

Some have told you it needs a good draining mix and I agree.
It is stretching for sunlight and that is why it will not bloom for you either.

This type of plant is to be treated like a 'Citru's as Toni said and citrus do not grow that well in a north facing window. All they will do is elongate, drop leaves, and stay out of bloom.
If your mix is heavy, like it seems to be, then add that to the stress factor.

If it were mine, I would follow Toni's advice and add to that what Karen has suggested.

I have 4 of these, and even in a greenhouse, you have to make sure you don't skip a beat in the mix and watering department.

Mike

This post was edited by meyermike_1micha on Tue, Jan 8, 13 at 19:16

Hi Karen..Who are you disagreeing with?

Kasia, can you place your Murraya in a different window? South or west?
The sunniest day before a north window isn't equivalent to a shadier south or west.

Doesn't look like your tree has mites...since you don't see webs that's one less worry.

Hey Mike! Toni

You mean get the spray?

And no I don't have west and east windows. We have a 'balcony window' in my parent's room but the building is also blocking out lot of the sun so it gets most on my window.

I was looking into something like plant light/reflector to put on my furniture.

Hi Toni,

Disagreeing w/ you about it being a nicely shaped plant; sorry, but to me it just looks stretched out & spindly.

Morning,

Kasia..Which direction does the balcony face?

Artificial lighting will be a plus. I was going to suggest additional light last night but forgot. :)

What type of lighting would interest you?

Karen, did you read my entire post?

Of course Kasia's plant needs work, mainly brighter conditions.
It is lacking leaves, but Murraya's body 'structure' is nicely-shaped.

As I wrote in the above post, 'once it 'fills' out, it will be beautiful.'
Murraya will be if it receives enough light. New foliage, thicker trunk..

Kasia..do you knonw if your Murraya is grafted? Toni

Yes, Toni I DID read the whole post, but still I disagree. I doubt it will fill in well, it's too weakened growth to fill in. If it were mine, I'd cut it back as I said.

No I don't know if it's grafted.
The balcony window faces west but as I said most of the sun is blocked by another building , especially in winter.

I am seeing little green bits poking out of the lower trunk but they haven't grown for the few days i saw them so not sure what's going on there. If it does fill in then I'll give it a little haircut on top.

I wasn't aware there were different types of plant light. I'm not that much of a gardener. Preferably a reflector one considering the desk lamp sort wouldn't be tall enough, but then again I'd like something small and portable too. I don't have a greenhouse fit room. Just my own.

Karen, which parts would you cut back? The trunk, stems?

If Kasia's Murraya is grafted, she couldn't cut below the graft. I can't see well enough to spot a graft line.

If her plant is non-grafted, her tree will be shorter..new stems/foliage will sprout in place of a taller trunk.

I think there's hope, IF her Murraya gets more light. Murraya's are pretty tough plants, will endure quite a bit of neglect..To a point of course. If nothing is done Murraya will continue to grow spindly or worse.

The only way we'll know for sure is whether or not Murraya is place in appropriate light and care.

Kasia. Guess we were typing the same time.

If your Murraya is grafted, it will have a bump nearest the lower-middle trunk.
One reason I asked if your tree is grafted..any growth below the graft is root stock..Root stock takes over and kills the main plant. If you don't see a bump your Murraya isn't grafted..

Unless one resides in the country, most people here on GW live in homes/appartments with neighboring buildings, trees or both which obstruct sunlight, yet manage to grow high-light plants.

It's difficult when one lives in a cold climate and most winter days are grey. Believe me, I live in IL, neighbors on both sides of our house. Not to mention trees, including an old Maple out back. :)

Oh yes, there's numerous plant lights from inexpensive to way over my budget..

Most hardware stores sell clip-on reflectors. Standard bulbs, including grow-lights 'for plants' fit in the socket.

Unless you're looking for a different style, the metal clip-ons work fine. Toni

I don't know why my recent answer didn't post last time.

Yea clip light would do. And no It's not grafted. Right now it's more of a sad stick with leaves poking out. Though lower on the trunk I still see little...what seems to be green buds poking out but ever since I started this post they haven't really grown.

Plus, I'm also from IL : )

Kasia...

It was explained by you that is has done pretty well up until your parents had it which tells me that somewhere along the line, massive root damage was done and not able to support the growth you want now which is going to be a problem until you give it good light and watch the watering combined with a good mix.

Once the days get longer and the daylight is stronger you should see improvement and follow what everyone has told you here.

Mike

Hey Mike.

Actually it was always kinda skinny for it's size. When my parents had it it just lost 2 of it's other 'trunks' and bunch of leaves. I'm giving it some more light and care right now so hopefully those little buds below will turn into new little branches. Once it gets more leaves I'll cut it shorter to deal with its weight better

Thanks everyone

Kasia,,,

It's not the skinny trunk I am concerned about at all and infact, I kind of like it and I see great potential.

It's the way the leaves look that concern me. They look weak, feeble, sparse from leaf drop, and droopy. There is many leaves missing and the ones left behind are shwoing stress due to root issues..
They should be straight out,and so something is going on with either root damage or your mix. That is just my observence..
Your tree leaves with lower light levels as they are should look better than that. Something is a mess with the roots or the mix, if it's not bugs.

When the leaves of mine looked like that in the past, it was pest's or poor mix choices and not lower light levels, althought lower light will cause it to elongate as Karen says.

Even so, the leaves should at least be dark green and much fuller than that, even in lower light levels, but just not bloom.

Mike

This post was edited by meyermike_1micha on Thu, Jan 10, 13 at 13:37

Howdy,

Kasia...sometimes, a post will not go through; other times it double/tripple posts..

Kasia, the last 7-weeks IL has been very gloomy. So grey, I keep a few lights on during the day.
My birds dislike dark, too. :)
Also, tropicals and sub-trops need a certain amount of humidity. Since heat is on, air is very dry. To increase humidity you have a few options.

Mind if I ask what part of IL you live? You don't have to be specific..example, are you north, south or west of Chicago? If you'd rather not say, I understand.

Have you ever heard of SuperThrive? ST is a hormone and contains 50 vitamins. I add 4 drops per gallon of water, once a month. ST works great for stressed plants and seedlings. Or a booster. It is NOT fertilizer. Stressed plants get 10 drops per gallon.

BTW, for the time being..place a lamp, any type of bulb near your Murraya.

Hey Mike. You're right..once, 'if ever, lol,' daylight is longer/stronger Kasia's Murraya will show improvement.

Kasia..as far as leaf drop, time of year makes a difference.
My Murraya, purchased at Osco, 1999 is summered outdoors...after it's brought inside some leaves drop..not many but some..it depends on light, etc.

Examples.

Sept, before bringing indoors.

{{gwi:71563}}

Summer w/blooms
{{gwi:71564}}

Pic taken in March..still winter-like conditions, lack of sunlight.
Notice leaf drop?

{{gwi:71565}}

In summer, once daylight is brighter, leaves will return.
That's the reason I have hope for your Murraya. Toni

Yes, to go along with Toni, you will loose some leaves as they shed the summer one for much lower light ones, but if you look closely, the actual leaves left behind on yours don't look at nice and healthy as the leaves left behind on Toni's after a long vacation indoors.
She may have lost many leaves, but those left behind look very healthy and not feeble and tired.
Mine never looked like yours even in the shadiest area in my home, unless the roots were suffering some how or pest invasion, in particular, mites.

By the way Toni, nice tree. You knw how much I love that one. Beautiful my friend!

MIke

Aw man those plants are lovely.

I live in north side of chicago.

I did partial soil change. Think I should do it all? And I haven't tried these drops either.

And when you say lamp I'm assuming plant lamp, not just any lamp. Right now I'm putting it on windowsill to give it as much of daylight as I can.

Sorry, but I don't think partial soil changes are a good idea; they will absorb & move water & air at different rates from each other, likely to cause drainage problem. I'd change it all or not at all.

Kasia..

I'm sorry, but I don't understand the soil change philosophy?

Please,explain how ALL your roots are going to thrive if the bad soil is still covering plenty of them?

Mike

Ok will do an entire soil change. I was going off what my mom told me.

So I repotted it and..omg these are the saddest roots I've ever seen. There's been a lot of bits and pieces I just dug out. And the pot is a ripoff cos it has no holes even though there's that 'separate' base.

The soil at the bottom was pretty moist so. I just added little water for the fresh one. How often and much should i water it now?

Sorry, but what does this mean?

"The soil at the bottom was pretty moist so. I just added little water for the fresh one. "

Would that be the old soil or the new soil? Hopefully you switched to a (smaller) pot w/ drainage holes?

i dont know much about them but it looks dark. they need bright sun

pirate_girl

it was the old soil that was moist yes. I'm surprised this plant was thriving for 5 years. Probably my parents just overwatered it recently and the soil didn't have enough time to dry up. At this moment I can't put it in a smaller pot as I need room to stick the support rod in. Otherwise it cannot stand on its own.

As far as the last post goes, that was just my kitchen, and it's pretty gloomy outside today.

Kasia..What pot did you put your plant back into?

I hope it was a lot smaller that that one you took it out of if you use a mix with many fine particles.
That pot is WAY too big for that root ball in the mix you might use/have been using. No wonder the poor root system is almost gone or dying.

Mike

It's the same pot. Should I redo it again then? Or would it be too much stress?

My goodness! You barely have any good roots on that plant.

Just my opinion, but I would find a pot that is just right for that little amount of roots, especially if you not using a very open and porous mix, or not use to watering correctly in any type of mix..

Too much stress? Yes,if you leave it in that pot.

It needs a 911 done the right way, and then to be left alone in a bright spot with a mix that dries out evenly and frequently so it can get its peace of mind back.

Okay I hopefully have one of it's smaller pots back in the closet. Will make sure it has holes this time

I really want it to get better. It's one of my first plants I bought since moving to new place . And the oldest I own.

Just an update. Placed the plant back to smaller planter. Ordered a clip on plant light and super thrive on amazon. Should be here next week.

I really hope this plant can come through.

I bought the clip on lamp, but I also had a question. I expected the cable to be little longer and I don't have lot of places to hook it and find room for this particularly tall plant anywhere else than it's at now. Is it ok to have it on the furniture, angled up at plants? Thanks

Hello everyone
Haven't posted for a long time. Googled Murraya and here I am.
I have had mine for many years and haven't known what it is. It has never had any fruit but blooms beautifully in the summer. I bring it in for the winter and has a bloom once in a while.
I was cleaning and found the old label from Logee's , still not knowing which plant it was for. Then when I googled, there you were. It was fun to finally find out.
Do any of you get fruit on yours or just the blooms?
Sherry

Hi! i have many of these plants! some already bushy trees (20+years) but I ”inherited” these with house I purchased. so recently ( one year back) I planted new ones outdoor in backyard soil next to the older ones. This is in Puerto Rico, full sunny tropical weather / hot, sun exposed all year long. i planted 15 baby ones, 5 are thriving and have grown about two feet, and the other 10 are slower/ smaller / weaker. They have not grown more than a few inches and many have lost leave, leaving branches exposed. I guess the bigger ones get longer periods of shade during the day as they are planted near concrete fence. what should I do with the weaker ones in terms of watering these? I usually water for 10 seconds each every day or every two days