Dombeya, Pinkball, Snowball Bush, Tropical Snowball Tree, Tropical Hydrangea

Dombeya elegans Cordem. (leaves small, < 5” long, glabrous; flowers white to rose)

Dombeya wallichii (Lindl.) Benth. (can be tree 30’ tall; leaves 12” long, hairy; flowers dangling, soft pink)

Dombeya ‘Pink Clouds’ (flowers bright pink)

Dombeya ‘Seminole’ (flowers dark  rosy pink, FA-SP, plants 8’ X 8’) (http://www.rareflora.com/dombeyaxse.htm)

dom-BAY-ah EL-ah-gans, wall-ITCH-ee-eye

Sterculiaceae

Family note: Often placed in Byttneriaceae or Malvaceae

Explanation of name: Genus named for French botanist Joseph Dombey (1742-1795).   Nathaniel Wallich (1786-1854, BA2) was a prominent botanist.  Elegans is self-explanatory. 

Natural range: Africa, Madagascar (BA1)

Recognition:  Leaves palmately veined, usually with cordate bases, sometimes lobed palmately.  Flowers showy in cymose pompoms, in varied pink to red (or white) hues. Petals 5; stamens numerous, the pollen-bearing anthers mixed with sterile staminodia. Styles 5. Fruit a capsule. Plants fuzzy with stellate hairs.

Landscape uses: Large, robust, coarse ornamental shrubs with showy flowers in pompoms. Fast-growing, hungry. Propagate by cuttings.