Chinda doll – Growth

Q: I have a four-foot tall China Doll plant. It flourished outside but indoors the leaves are yellow and falling off.

A: Although China Doll plant, Radermachera sinica, is sold as a house plant, it can eventually grow to 30 feet tall. Unfortunately, it is not winter hardy in Atlanta and so must be kept indoors when temperatures are below 40 degrees. It’s typical for tropical houseplants to lose leaves when they don’t get enough light. My advice is to give yours as much light as possible for the time being, then put it on a semi-shaded patio after mid-April. At that time you can cut the stems down to twelve inches tall and let the plant form a lower crown of new leaves during the summer. Tip it back as needed to keep it compact for its time indoors next winter.