Native plants don't particularly like amended soil.

Littleleaf cordias will get up to 6 or 7 feet, perhaps more with age. I think your watering schedule is fine. I wouldn't fertilize. They take some time to make enough root system to support lots of top growth. Yours make take more water as you've amended for drainage. Mine gets watered every 2 weeks in summer. It makes a thicket when allowed but not a tall tree.

Hi Zzini and all,

I agree with Judy as usual, your cordia probably does not want additional fertilizer. three by three sounds pretty good to me, but we're all impatient aren't we, LOL? I'm sure a touch more water would help, but like you and Judy mention, they don't want/need a LOT of water, but I bet a tiny bit more would boost the growth on yours.

I had a small one at my last garden and gave it a big drink about every week in summer and it did pretty well, but I wouldn't say it was a FAST grower. They're great plants though, and why I don't have one in my current garden escapes me. Hmmmmm.....must......go......shopping!

Keep us posted and don't be shy with pics, either of you. :)

Take care,
Grant

The thing I like most about these cordias is watching the little birds eat the flowers. They must be very tasty because they will really work at getting to them.

Really?? I never saw or noticed that. How fun! Now I REALLY need to add one, LOL. I've seen similar behavior with house finches on my Penstemon palmeri blooms (though not my other penstemons, hmmmmm...), and it's always very amusing. Thanks for mentioning it.

They're planted all over the stretch of the 101 through Scottsdale and they look really nice--they're really well pruned too, like mini multi trunk trees, almost always covered in those cute white blooms.

Now I'm getting a craving!
Grant

Grant - sparrows and finches eat the Cordia seeds before they ripen - biting through the flower to get to the developing seed.

Mine were slow starting, but in year three they suddenly erupted into 5-6 foot haystacks covered with white flowers. They are so untidy looking, but I like them

well, I gave them all about 2 gallons today and I think I'll try to do that once a week.

lazygardens - I know they're untidy, but I love the tumble-down look (kinda like my house. . . ), plus I'm trying to increase cover for the quail around the property and I know they like messy, ground-sweepers like the cordia.

Grant, I saw a bunch on the San Tan portion of the 202 today and they were just as full of white blooms as they could be - I was encouraged to plant them because they do so well on the freeways!!

maybe mine will have a growth spurt this year like lg's - I'm thinking the cool weather may help?

"I gave them all about 2 gallons today"

That's not nearly enough water. When you water, soak the ground thoroughly under and all around the bushes. It takes 10-15 gallons to soak a 3-foot circle to a depth of 12-18 inches, and you want to water outside their canopy too so the roots have moist ground to spread into.

Neat to know about the seed eating, thanks for mentioning it. I'm not sure I have the right spot for one, but I do like their look.

Fun thread, thanks for starting it. Keep us posted zzini on how yours do for you.

Take care,
Grant

I think lazygardens has deduced the reason behind my puny cordias - I'm starving them to death! Or thirsting them to death. . .
thank you AGAIN for the advice, I am going out right now to put a slowly dripping hose on them!