It's all about ...
plants

Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder
 
tree

Wheel Tree

Trochodendron aralioides

Add To My Plant List

Wheel Tree (Trochodendron aralioides) at Lakeshore Garden Centres

Wheel Tree foliage

Wheel Tree foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Wheel Tree (Trochodendron aralioides) at Lakeshore Garden Centres

Wheel Tree

Wheel Tree

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  20 feet

Spread:  15 feet

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  6b

Description:

A slow growing small tree or large shrub with attractive, evergreen foliage that is shiny dark green; yellow-green flowers in spring resemble small wheels with stamens that radiate outward like spokes; a stunning accent tree that is great for small spaces

Ornamental Features

Wheel Tree features unusual racemes of chartreuse round flowers at the ends of the branches from mid to late spring. It has attractive dark green foliage with grayish green undersides. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Wheel Tree is a multi-stemmed evergreen tree with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Wheel Tree is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Accent
  • General Garden Use
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Wheel Tree will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Wheel Tree is a fine choice for the yard, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Accent  Garden  Container 
Applications
Flowers  Foliage Color  Texture 
Ornamental Features