Technical Specifications for the Landscape Professional.

Identity, size, site, and establishment notes for specification. Carmakal Tree Nursery, also known as Carmakal Botanicals, holds Florida nursery registration #48002195, with locations in Loxahatchee and Wellington. This is not a bid form.

Botanical identity

Current botanical name	Monoon longifolium (Sonn.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
Accepted synonym	Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Thwaites
Variety	var. pendula, the columnar weeping form
Common names	Mast Tree, False Ashoka, Indian Mast Tree, Buddha Tree, Indian Fir Tree
Family	Annonaceae
Origin	Southern India and Sri Lanka
Introduced to Florida	About the 1980s, via Fairchild Tropical Garden, Miami

Growth and form

Mature height	30–45 ft. In ideal conditions, specimens may exceed 60 ft.
Mature width	4–8 ft
Growth rate	Moderate
Form	Narrowly columnar; pendulous branches hug the trunk from crown to ground
Leaves	Lance-shaped, wavy margins; bronze new growth, then lime, then deep emerald
Flowers	Pale green, star-shaped; spring, about 2–3 weeks; fragrant
Fruit	Small drupes, green then dark purple to black; late summer into autumn
Trunk	Straight, flexible, lightweight; usually hidden by the canopy

Site and climate

USDA zones	10a–11; warmer areas of 9b for established trees
Light	Full sun preferred; tolerates partial shade
Soil	Well-drained sand, loam, or clay; about pH 6.0–7.0
Moisture	Average. Water until established. No standing water.
Drought	High once established
Salt	Moderate. Community interiors, not the beach spray line.
Wind	High for this narrow form
Wet feet	Low. Free-draining sites only.

Landscape uses

Community entries	Single or double rows; pairs at a gate
Boulevard framing	About 15–25 ft apart for individual crowns
Privacy screen	About 6–10 ft apart for closure in 2–3 seasons
Noise buffer	Dense rows along a road
Windbreak	Coastal community interiors
Specimen	Courtyards, turf, model homes

Maintenance

Pruning	Light pruning every 1–3 years. Tip pruning if height must be held.
Fertilizer	A balanced slow-release, such as 10-10-10, twice a year — early spring and late summer — on established trees.
Pests and disease	Not susceptible to the spider mites that can severely damage or kill Italian Cypress. No Seiridium canker pattern in Florida conditions.
Leaf drop	Light. Essentially evergreen in zones 10–11.

Potted, in-ground, delivery, and installation

Trees are grown in containers and in the ground. In-ground trees tend to be fuller and cost more because of extraction and shipping preparation. The nursery delivers and installs, and can coordinate a wider South Florida plant package with the landscape architect.

Installing a large specimen

Dig the pit 2–3 times the root-ball width. Amend the backfill only lightly. Native field soil is the better backfill.
Set the tree at nursery grade, not deeper.
Stake specimens over about 15 feet for 12 months. Use broad straps, not wire.
Water deeply at planting and keep a schedule for the first 12 months.
Three inches of mulch, kept 6 inches off the trunk.
Do not fertilize for the first 60–90 days after planting.

For trees over 4-inch caliper, University of Florida IFAS guidance is daily water for 6 weeks, every other day for 5 months, then weekly until established, at about 3 gallons per inch of caliper, applied to the root ball rather than by a lawn sprinkler. Establishment runs roughly 3–4 months per inch of caliper.