Bixa orellana, the Lipstick Tree, has to be one of the most fascinating plants found anywhere. It has been valuable, versatile and popular for so long that no one knows exactly where in the New World Tropics it originated. The species name honors Francisco de Orellana, a Spanish conquistador of the 16th century, who, according…
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One of the most successful flowering tree introductions to southern Florida in the past 15 years has been Cassia bakeriana. Native to Thailand and Burma (Myanmar), the Pink Shower Tree blooms profusely in the spring, producing flowers that progress from pink to lighter pink to white. The flowers attract butterflies and bees. Newly-emerging leaves are…
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The folks at Richard Lyons’ Nursery are eager to let you in on one of the best-kept secrets in the tropical plant community: The Bridalveil Tree is a great plant! Native to northern South America, Caesalpinia granadillo is a moderate-sized tree that assumes a vase-shaped profile at maturity. In its home region, the Bridalveil reaches…
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This week we take a look at a very interesting group of Florida native plants known collectively as stoppers. All stoppers are members of the Myrtaceae, an enormous family that also includes the genus Eucalyptus. Some grow as shrubs and some as trees. Each of the five described below not only has ornamental value, but also has proven…
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A person could almost feel sorry for the genus Cassia. Once very sizable, it has been sliced and diced by reclassification since 1982. At roughly 100 species now, it is but a shadow of its former self. However, some very formidable ornamental species remain in Cassia. One of those is C. roxburghii, f/k/a C. marginata.…
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