97 TROPICAL FLOWERING TREES FOR YOUR SOUTH FLORIDA GARDEN

by Larry Schokman

YELLOW FLOWERS

Bulnesia arborea                                       Vera wood                          Summer/Fall/Winter            L

Caesalpinia ferrea                                     Brazilian ironwood             Spring                                  M

Caesalpinia (granadillo) punctata             Bridal veil                           Summer/Fall                        S

Caesalpinia mexicana                               Caesalpinia                         All year—off and on           S

Caesalpinia pluviosa subsp. peltaphoroides                                         False Pau Brasil                   Spring     L

Cananga odorata                                      Ylang-ylang                        All year—off and on           M

Cassia fistula                                             Golden shower                    Summer                               L

Cassia quinquangulatum                           Star burst                             Winter/Spring                      S

Cochlospermum vitifolium                        Buttercup                            Spring                                  M

Cordia lutea                                              Yellow Cordia                    All year—off and on           M

Crescentia cujete                                       Calabash                             All year                               M

Delonix regia                                            Yellow poinciana                Summer                               L

Deplanchia tetraphylla                              Golden bouquet tree           Fall                                      L

Handroanthus (Tabebuia) guayacan        Guayacan                            Spring/Summer                    M

Handroanthus (Tabebuia) ochraceus       Ipê do cerrado                     Winter/Spring                      M

Koelreuteria elegans subsp. formosana    Golden raintree                   Fall/Winter                          L

Michelia champaca                                   Champak                            All year—off and on           M

Peltophorum pterocarpum                        Copperpod                          Spring/Summer                    L

Peltophorum dubium                                 Peltophorum                       Summer/Fall                        L

Saraca cauliflora                                      Yellow Saraca                    Winter/Spring                      M

Schizolobium parahybum                          Fern tree                              Winter/Spring                      L

Senna polyphylla                                       Twin Senna                         Fall/Winter                          S

Senna spectabilis                                       Spectactular Senna              Fall/Winter                          M

Senna surattensis                                       Scrambled egg                     Fall/Winter/spring                S

Spathodea campanulata                            African tulip                       Fall/Winter                          L

Tabebuia aurea                                         Tree of gold                        Spring                                  S

Tabebuia vellosoi                                      Ipê amarillo                         Spring                                  L

Tecoma stans                                            Yellow elder                       All year—off and on           M

ORANGE FLOWERS

Brya ebenus                                              Jamaican rain tree               After heavy rain                  M

Butea monosperma                                   Flame of the forest              Winter                                 M

Colvillea racemosa                                    Colville’s glory                   Fall/Winter                          M

Cordia sebestena                                       Orange Geiger                     Spring/Summer/Fall             M

Saraca indica                                            Sorrowless tree                    Winter/Spring                      M

RED FLOWERS

Bombax ceiba                                           Red silk floss                      Winter                                 L

Brachychiton acerifolium                          Flame bottletree                  Spring/Summer                    L

Brownea coccinea                                     Lantern Brownea                Winter/Spring                      M

Brownea grandiceps                                 Rose of Venezuela              Winter                                 M

Brownea macrophylla                               Panama flame                     Winter/Spring                      M

Calliandra haematocephala                      Red powderpuff                 Winter                                 S

Callistemon viminalis                                Weeping bottlebrush           Spring                                  S

Cassia roxburghii (marginata)                  Marginated leaf Cassia       Summer/Fall                        M

Castonospermum australe                         Moreton Bay chestnut         Spring/Summer                    L

Delonix regia                                            Royal poinciana                  Summer                               L

Kigelia africana                                        Sausage tree                        Summer/Fall                        L

Sabinea carinalis                                       Carib wood                         Spring                                  S

Saraca declinata                                       Red Saraca                         Winter/Spring                      M

Spathodea campanulata                            African tulip                       Fall/Winter/Spring               L

Triplaris cumingiana                                 Long John or ant tree          Winter/Spring                      L

PINK FLOWERS

Amherstia nobilis                                      Queen of flowering trees    Summer/Fall                        L

Bauhinia monandra                                  Butterfly flower                  Spring/Summer                    S

Caesalpinia pulcherrima cv. Compton      Compton                             Winter/Spring                      S

Cassia bakeriana                                      Pink Cassia                         Spring                                  M

Cassia roxburghii                                      Ceylon Senna                     Spring                                  M

Cassia grandis                                           Coral shower                       Spring                                  L

Cassia (subsp. nodosa) C. javanica          Apple blossom                    Spring/Summer                    L

Ceiba speciosa                                          Silk floss                             Fall                                      L

Clerodendrum quadriloculare                   Pink starburst                      Winter                                 S

Couropita guianensis                                Cannonball                         Summer/Fall                        L

Gustavia superba                                      Membrillo                           Summer/Fall                        L

Lecythis pisonis                                         Monkey pot                        Summer/Fall                        L

Plumeria spp.                                            Frangipani                           Spring/Summer                    S

Portlandia grandiflora                              Glorious flower of Cuba     Spring/Summer/Fall             S

Pseudobombax ellipticum                         Shaving brush                     Winter/Spring                      L

Tabebuia heterophylla                              Pink trumpet                       All year—off and on           M

Tabebuia rosea                                         Pink poui or trumpet           All year—off and on           L

LAVENDER/PURPLE FLOWERS

Bauhinia x blakeana                                 Hong Kong orchid              Fall/Winter                          M

Bauhinia purpurea                                    Orchid tree                          Fall/Winter                          M

Duranata erecta cv. Geisha girl                 Golden dewdrop                 Spring/Summer/Fall             S

Guiacum sanctum                                     Lignum vitae                       All year—off and on           M

Handroanthus (Tabebuia) impetiginosa   Lavender trumpet                Spring                                  L

Jacaranda cuspidifolia                             Jacaranda                          All year—off and on           M

Jacaranda jasminoides                             Maroon Jacaranda             All year—off and on           M

Jacaranda mimosifolia                             Jacaranda                          Spring/Summer                    L

Lagerstroemia indica                                Crepe myrtle                       Spring/Summer                    S

Lagerstroemia speciosa                            Queen’s crepe myrtle          Spring/Summer                    L

Polygala cowellii                                       Puerto Rican violet tree       Winter                                 L

WHITE FLOWERS

Adansonia digitata                                    Baobab                               Summer/Fall                        L

Capparis cynophallophora                        Jamaica caper                     Spring                                  S

Ceiba insignis                                            White floss silk                   Fall                                      L

Clerodendrum minahassee                        Tube flower                        Spring/Summer                    S

Cordia boissieri                                         Texas white Geiger             All year                               M

Delonix elata                                             White poinciana                  Summer                               M

Dillenia indica                                           Elephant apple                    Summer                               L

Lagerstroemia indica                                Queen’s crepe myrtle          Summer                               S

Magnolia x alba (M. champaca x M. montana)  White champak                   All year—off and on           M

Magnolia grandiflora cv. Little gem         Southern Magnolia             Spring/Summer                    M

Mesua ferrea                                             Ceylon ironwood                Spring/Fall                           M

Murraya paniculata                                  Orange jessamine                Spring/Summer                    M

Pachira aquatica                                       Guiana chestnut                  Spring/Summer                    L

Plumeria pudica                                        White frangipani (club-leaf)                                           Spring/Summer   S

Posoqueria latifolia                                   Needle flower tree              All year—off and on           S

Pseudobombax ellipticum                         Shaving brush                     Winter/Spring                      L

Radermachera sinica                                China doll                           Summer                               M

Strelitzia nicolai                                         Giant bird of paradise         Summer/Fall                        S

Stemmadenia litoralis                                Milky way tree                    Spring/Summer/Fall             M

Tabernamontana divaricata                      Butterfly gardenia               Summer                               M

Tabebuia roseo-alba                                 White Tabebuia                  Spring                                  M

*   L = Large (over 40 feet tall)     M = Medium (20-40 feet)     S = Small (under 20 feet)

Most of these trees are under-utilized               Summer 1988 (last revision Fall 2009)