Kind of both. They have weak wood and weak root systems....her best bet is to give it some "anchor" plants to prevent this from happening again. My Cassia came thru last winter unscathed ( year before went all the way down to the ground). It is about 10 feet tall and wide. I have mine planted in between two Indian Hawthornes for the very reason your friend is experiencing.

Thanks, that is pretty much what I thought, This tree is history but thankfully they grow fast. Like yours, it had come back from the freeze the winter before last. The rapid growth rate is probably what makes the wood weak. Perhaps they should be cut back even after the mild winters.

I wonder if you could suggest any other 'anchor plants' for surrounding the Cassia??

I would hate to lose mine...

Dwarf azaleas would work fine if it isn't in full sun all day....you don't want the anchor plants getting too high and obstructing the cassia, IMHO.

I think a burgundy lorpetulum is just the ticket for this. They don't get too tall and the color would be very complementary to the cassia when it is in bloom.

I thought about knockout roses too. Since I have a couple of those and would have to buy the former, I bet the knockouts get first dibs at anchoring the cassia.

I planted 3 cassia bicapsularis this spring from 1gal size and they are already over 6'x6', I'm not sure if they will survive my winter though(zone 8b). Should I cut them back in the winter? Also some leaves are turning yellow, and suggestions?

I had a "scrambled egg tree" (Senna surattensis) at my old house in Boca Raton that went through Hurricane Wilma. It blew down to the ground and got thrashed all around, but as soon as the storm cleared I stood it up and provided support, and it's a beautiful tree today.

The tree to the left is the one that survived the hurricane. The one on the right is a seedling from the tree on the left.

This post was edited by TheTradition on Sat, Apr 13, 13 at 8:30