Category: Flowering Trees

Rare & Unusual Tropical Trees & Plants, Flowering, Fruit, Native, Palm, Bamboo, Heliconia, Hummingbird, Butterfly

The Stoppers (Myrtaceae)

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 to be…
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March 2, 2013 0

Baobab Tree (Adansonia digitata)

As you know, we are surrounded by weird things.  In your case, at this very moment the closest weird thing is probably your neighbor’s teenage son, who thinks he is the next Justin Bieber, but more closely resembles an offkey cyclops. In the plant world, one of the weirder things is the Baobab tree, but, unlike your neighbor’s kid, the Baobab has…
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February 16, 2013 0

Red Silk Cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba)

This tree has a straight trunk armed with conical spines, especially when young, and much more sparse with age.  It’s a massive tree, attaining a height of 80′ tall and a crown spread of 50′.  This tree produces large 6-7″ red or orange cupped flowers (depending on the cultivar), which appear in January-February before any new foliage…
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January 27, 2013 0

Bauhinia blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree)

Many botanists believe this tree is a hybrid between Bauhinia variegata and B. purpurea, and not a true species as its botanical name implies. The tree is sterile, so it does not produce seedpods and seeds.  This makes it an ideal Bauhinia, unlike many other Bauhinias which are invasive.   An individual tree was discovered in 1880 growing at a monastery in…
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December 15, 2012 0

Ylang-Ylang Tree (Cananga odorata)

If you haven’t discovered the source of Chanel No. 5 perfume, allow us to introduce you to the Ylang-Ylang Tree.  Native from island chains of Southeast Asia into northern Australia, this tropical evergreen produces oils that are steam-distilled from its aromatic flowers to create the world-famous women’s fragrance. The story goes that Russian-born perfumer Ernest…
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November 30, 2012 0