Flowering Trees of South Florida - Miami-Dade County Extension ...

Flowering Trees for 

South Florida 

Stephen H. Brown 

Lee County Extension 2010

Tree Definition 

• Tree: A woody perennial plant having a 

single usu. Elongate main stem generally with 

few or no branches on its lower part. 

• Treelet (treelike). Having two or more small 

trunks with few or no branches on their lower 

parts. 

• Standard: A bush made into a small tree by 

creating a single main stem.

South Florida Conditions 

• Subtropical, zone 10a 

• Minimum winter temperature 30°F 

• For the most part, this only allows for 

plants of tropical origins

Our Area 

• Sandy, dry soils, low fertility 

• Distinct wet and dry seasons 

• Distinct cool/dry and hot/humid seasons

What Causes Plants to Flower? 

• Photoperiod (change in daylight length) 

• Change from wet to dry, or dry to wet, 

season 

• Sudden end of life, i.e. Melalecua, citrus 

• Change from cool to warm, or warm to cool 

• Rarely, don’t count on, fertilizer applications

looming, % of max 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

1-13 

1-20 

1-27 

2-3 

2-10 

2-17 

Tabebuia aurea 

2-24 

3-3 

3-10 

observation Date 

3-17 

3-24 

3-31 

4-7 

50 % line 

4-14 

4-21

Effects of Winter Temperatures on Bloom Period 

Numbers of days in Fort Myers, Florida, with winter 

temperatures at or below 50°F, 40°F and 35°F 

Historical 

Average 

Winter Days ≤ 50° F Days ≤ 40° F Days ≤ 35° F 

0 0 0 

2008-2009 28 days 05 01 

2009-2010 47 days 09 04

Effects of Winter Temperatures on Bloom Period



• Solitary: Flowers or 

fruits borne singly, 

not in clusters. 

• I.e. Magnolia, sea 

hibiscus, Surinam 

cherry (Eugenia).

Tubular: .

Funnelform: Tabebuias

Salverform: Oleander; Plumeria

Staminous: A

Caesalpinaceous: A

Composite: A

• Inflorescence: The arrangement of 

flowers in a cluster, or the cluster of 

flowers itself rather than the 

arrangement.

Umbel: An indeterminate, often flat-topped inflorescence, 

with several or many pedicellate flowers arising from a 

common point of attachment.

Cyme: A flat-topped, usually few flowered inflorescence in 

which the central, terminal flowers open in advance of the 

outer ones.

Spike: An unbranched, simple, elongate inflorescence 

bearing sessile (stemless) or subsessile flowers. 

•Examples: Black olive; earleaf acacia; bottle brush; 

melaleuca; tropical almond; Australian pine (male).

Examples: Cassia, maple, yellow 

elder, toog, gumbo limbo, orchid 

trees, royal poinciana, sweet gum. 

Raceme: An inflorescence on which individual flowers are 

carried on short stems of approximately equal length and are 

borne on an unbranched main stem.

Examples: Jacaranda, 

mango, buttonwood, 

avocado, crape myrtle. 

Panicle: An inflorescence with several branches, either 

opposite or alternate; a branched raceme.

Acacia farnesiana 

Sweet acacia 

• C+ 

• November – February 

• Evergreen or 

Deciduous 

• High salt tolerance 

• High drought tolerance 

• Spines 

• Great, spicy fragrance


Sweet acacia 

Double spines is a feature of 

Acacia Trees 

Flowers, Leaves, and 

spines grow from the 

same axils


Sweet acacia 

Prefers dry soils. Is short-lived 

and can toppled in wet soils. 

Sweet and spicy aroma from 

yellow flower balls. The scent 

accompanies the flowers at all 

times but the hot sun seems to 

intensify the aroma.


Sweet acacia 

Leaves: Even-bipinnate, alternate, 2-4 inches long with 2 - 6 pairs of pinnae 

each with 10-25 pairs of narrow leaflets 

Flowers: Staminous, bright yellow ball, very fragrant, about 1.5 inches long and 

½ inches across 

Fruits: Pods, green, thick, becoming black with age; 3 inches long and slightly 

curved

Acacia Choriophylla 

Cinnercord, thornless Acacia

Acacia choriophylla 

Cinnercord, thornless Acacia 

• A 

• Evergreen 


• High drought 

tolerance 

• 15’x10’

Acacia auriculiformis 

Earleaf Acacia 

• Flower Display: C 

• Origin: Northern 

Australia, New Guinea 

• Salt tolerance: Medium 

• Drought Tol.: High 

• Nutritional Req: Low 

• Growth Rate: Fast 

• Dimension: 40’x40’ 

• Messiness: High


Earleaf Acacia


Earleaf Acacia

Adenium obesum 

Desert Rose 

• Flower Display: A 

• Origin: Egypt to Kenya, 

west to Senegal 



• Nutritional Req: 

Medium 

• Growth Rate: Slow 


• Messiness: Medium


Desert Rose 

A short, fat succulent that 

flowers abundantly on-and-off 

throughout much of the year. 

It develops a few irregularly 

spaced, smooth branches. 

Plants from seeds naturally develop the ‘fat’ lower trunks. 

Plants from cuttings will not produce the ‘fat’ bottoms 

unless, when repotted, they are raised increasingly higher 

exposing fresh roots. Some of these roots will enlarge to 

create the swollen bottoms


Desert Rose 

Flowers: Salverform, from deep purplish red, through pink, 

to white, to 3 inches long, on terminal corymbs


Desert Rose 

Leaves: Simple, spathulate, deep green, glossy, in terminal whorls 

Fruits: Follicle, dehiscent, to 4 inches long, usually held in pairs


Desert Rose 

Oleander relative and thus also affected by the 

oleander caterpillar


Desert Rose 

Aphids, mealybugs, scales, and spider 

mites may be occasional problems. 

Oleander caterpillars can eat all the 

leaves of a plant in short order. 

However, complete releafing is quick 

and normally occurs about four weeks 

after defoliation. Control caterpillars with 

B.t. or hand pick them from the plant 

while wearing gloves.

Bauhinia purpurea 

Purple Orchid Tree 

• B+ 

• October – November 

• Briefly Semi 

Deciduous 

• Spiderlike and floppy 

• Flowers with it leaves 

• Exotic invasive


Purple Orchid Tree


Fall Orchid Tree, Orchid Tree 

Weak, woody 

and messy. 

Also listed as 

an invasive 

species.

Bauhinia variegata 

Spring Orchid Tree 

• A+ 

• February – March 

• Evergreen or 

Deciduous 

• Low salt tolerance 


tolerance 

• Exotic invasive


Spring Orchid Tree


Spring Orchid Tree


Spring Orchid Tree 

B. Variegata L. ‘Candida’


Spring Orchid Tree

Bauhinia x blakeana 

Hong Kong Orchid 

• A+ 

• November – February 

• Semi-deciduous 

• Garden, Park, Shade, 

Streetscape 

• Sterile, no pods 

• 30'x25'

Bauhinia x blakeana 

Hong Kong Orchid 

Probably a hybrid between B. purpurea and B. variegata. 

A sterile tree. It produces no pods.

Which is Which?

B. blakeana 

B. purpurea 

Which is Which? 

B. variegata 

B. variegata

Bombax ceiba 

Bombax malabaricum 

• A 


• Deciduous February – 

April 


• 80’x60’

Bombax ceiba 

Red-Silk Cotton, Bombax 

Flowers: Heavy, 6 inch wide flower having 5 satiny red or orange petals reflexing strongly 

after opening 

Fruits: Capsules, oval woody to 6 inches long filled with small cotton-covered seeds

Bombax ceiba 

Red-Silk Cotton, Bombax 

Leaves: Palmate, to 24 inches long, with rarely 3-4, and commonly 5-7 

lanceolate leaflets, up to 10 inches long, attached to a long flexible 

petiole

Caesalpinia pulcherrima 

Dwarf Poinciana, Barbados Fence Post 

• A 

• May – January 

• Semi deciduous or 

Deciduous 

• Dangling seed 

pods 

• Pruning to keep 

tidy 

• Container, Garden, 

Screen, Specimen

Prune in fall for best flowering throughout the year. To avoid winter’s 

messy look, to encourage new growth, and possible late winter flowering, 

prune only 18 to 20 inches off each branches in early to mid fall. 

It makes a beautiful informal row of small trees, each tree often with 

several trunks.


Dwarf Poinciana 

• Leaves: Even-bipinnate, to 16 inches long, with stout 

petiole, 4-9 pairs of even pinnae, 5-12 pairs of oblong to 

obovate leaflets often with slight notch 

• Fruits: Pods, flatten, blackish or dark brown, oblong, to 5 

inch long with 5-8 shiny brown flat seeds


Dwarf Poinciana, Barbados Fence Post 

•Flowers: Caesalpinaceous, yellow, red or pink, with 5 wavey obovate 

petals and 10 long threadlike stamens

Callistemon citrinus 

Lemmon Bottlebrush 

B 

Growth Rate: Medium 

Flowering Month(s): 

March - May 

Typical Dimension: 

15'x14' 

Salt Tolerance: 

Medium 

Drought Tolerance: 

Medium 

Nutritional Req: 

Medium

Callistemon citrinus 

Lemmon Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis 

Weeping Bottlebrush 

B; January – May; Medium salt tolerance; Medium drought 

tolerance; 21 X 30’; Garden, Park, Shade

Callistemon viminalis 

Weeping Bottlebrush

Calliandra haematocephala 

Powderpuff Tree, Red Powderpuff Tree 

• Flower Display: B 

• Origin: Tropical 

America 

• Salt tolerance: 

Low 


Growth Rate: Medium; Nutritional Req: Medium 

Dimension: 4’x4’; Messiness: Medium


Powderpuff Tree, Red Powderpuff Tree


Powderpuff Tree, Red Powderpuff Tree 

• Attract bees, 

butterflies, 

hummingbirds, and 

mockingbirds 

• Thornbugs, 

caterpillars, scales 

and mites 

• Tree, 14’x18’

Calliandra surinamensis 

Pink Powderpuff 

• B 

• October – April 

• Evergreen 

• Low Salt Tolerance 

• High Drought Tolerance 

• 15’x25’ 


Park, Patio, Poolside, 

Streetscape

Calotropis gigantea 

Giant Milkweed 

• C 

• Flowers yearround 



tolerance 

• 12’x15’ 

• Container, 

Garden, Poolside, 

Seaside

The corolla has 5 

showy petals that are 

whitish and tinged with 

purple at the apex. 

The fruit is a follicle, kidneyshaped, 

2.7 to 4 inches long.

Cananga odorata 

Ylang-Ylang 

• C 

• February – June 

• Evergreen 


• Very fast growing 

• perfume and 

massage oil 

• 35’x16’


Ylang-Ylang 

A leafy evergreen, it holds the drooping 

flowers along its bowing branches. 

Although large and borne in profusion, 

the flowers do not stand out amongst 

the greenness of the foliage. 

Its narrow form shades only a small 

portion of ground allowing plenty of 

light for grass and other sun loving 

plants.


Ylang-Ylang 

Whenever I’m around a C. 

odorata, I’m compelled to 

take an evening stroll just to 

embrace its perfumed 

fragrance. 

Leaves: Simple, alternate, oblong-ovate, 6-8 inches long with sharp pointe pointed 

apexe 

Flowers: Six very narrow drooping petal, changing from green to yellow, attached 

to a 1-2 inch green stalk, borne along leaf axils 

Fruits: Syncarps, oblong in small tight clusters. Immature green, matures black

Canella winterana 

Wild Cinnamon 

• D 


• Evergreen 


• Very fast growing 

• Very high drought 

tolerance 

• 20’x15’

Consider this a low maintenance tree. 

It requires little or no pruning and 

once established it is extremely 

drought tolerant, but one should not 

leave it to neglect.

Capparis 

cynophallophora 

Jamaican Caper 

• B 



• Flowering Months: 

Late April – May 

• Leaf Persistence: 

Evergreen 

• Drought Tolerance: 

Low for the first couple 

of years until 

establishment

Capparis 

cynophallophora 

Jamaican Caper 

A dense, low forming pyramidal or rounded crown, stiff leaves that are 

shiny green above and light brown beneath, and delightfully scented 

flowers that open white and fade to purple or pink. 

Each flower last for about two days, spending half its time in white and 

the other half in the darker hue.

Cassia afrofistula 

African Cassia 

A 


Flowering Month(s): 

May - September 

Typical Dimension: 

15'x14' 

Salt Tolerance: Medium 

Drought Tolerance: 

Medium Nutritional Req: 

Low

Leaves: Even-pinnate, alternate, to 15 inches long with 6-10 pairs of 

leathery, slightly folded leaflets 

Flowers: Five bright yellow petals. Flowers 2 inches wide, held on 

terminal, branched racemes 

Fruits: Pods, cylindrical, green young, matures black, to 24 inches long, 

indehiscnt, many cross walls, each with a single seed

Cassia fistula 

Golden Shower 

• A+ 

• May – June, 

September 

• Medium salt 

tolerance 


tolerance 

• 35’x30’ 

• Garden, Park, 

Shade, Specimen


Golden Shower 

it is at its best in May and June. 

Leaves begin to fall in April in 

preparation for the display. The 

drier the conditions, the greater 

the leaf loss, and the more 

spectacular is the display. 

Plant it in full sun and in a place 

where it will be noticed. It 

flowers while it is still quite 

young. As with most fat 

growers, it can be brittle.


Golden Shower 

Leaves: Even-pinnate, alternate, 12-18 inches long, 4-8 pairs of ovate, opposite, 

leaflets, 3-6 inches long 

Flowers: Five bright yellow, widely spaced petals. Flower cluster held on 

terminal and unbranched racemes 

Fruits: Pods, long and hanging, indehicent, to 24 inches long and 1 inch 

diameter, many cross walls, each with a single seed

Cassia javanica 

Apple Blossom Cassia 

• A+ 

• July – September 

• Briefly deciduous 

• Slightly fragrant 

blossoms 

• 40'x50' 


Shade, Specimen

Cassia javanica 

Apple Blossom Cassia

Cassia leptophylla 

Gold Medallion Tree 

• A+ 

• April - June 

• 21 Flowering Days 

• Briefly deciduous 

• Very cold tolerant 

• 20'x18' 

• Garden, Park, Patio, 

Screen, Specimen, 

Streetscape

Cassia leptophylla 

Gold Medallion Tree 

It has a dense, low 

spreading, globose crown 

crammed with huge terminal 

clusters of circular yellow 

inflorresences. 

Flowers: Deep yellow to 3 

inches wide borne on terminal 

racemes up to 8 inches 

across

Senna Pendula 

Christmas senna, Golden Senna 

• A 

• November – 

December 

• Evergreen 

• Sold as a 

Christmas plant 

• Requires staking 

to remain upright 

• Invasive

Senna Pendula 

Christmas senna, Golden Senna

Senna Pendula 

Christmas senna, Golden Senna, Butterfly Cassia

Senna polyphylla 

Desert Cassia 

• A 

• Intermittently, all year 

• Evergreen 



tolerance 

• Butterfly attracter 

• Full sun 

• Highly recommended

Senna polyphylla 

Desert Cassia

Senna surattensis 

Glaucous Cassia 

• A+ 

• March – 

November 

• Semi-deciduous in 

December – 

January 

• Weakly rooted 

• Butterfly attracter

Senna Sulfurea 

Glaucous cassia

Senna and Cassia

Delonix regina 

Poinciana regia


Poinciana regia 

• A+ 

• May – September 

• Deciduous or Semideciduous 


tolerance 

• 5-12 years to flower 

• Characteristic D. regia 

scent 

• 50'x75' 

• Garden, Park, Shade, 

Specimen, 

Streetscape


Royal Poinciana, Flamboyán

Delonix regina


Royal Poinciana, Flamboyán 

Ganoderma fungus

Dombeya burgessiae ‘Seminole’ 

D. elegans, D. rosea, D. x seminole

Dombeya burgessiae ‘Seminole’ 

Seminole Dombeya, Tropical Rose Hydragea 

• A 

• November – January 


• Slow growth rate 

• 7’x8’ 

• Rarely needs pruning 


Park, Patio, Specimen

Dombeya wallichii 

Tropical Snowball

Umbellate Cyme 

Dombeya wallichii 

Tropical Snowball 

• A 

• November – January 


• Very cold tolerant 

• 30-50 flowers in cymes 

• 20’ 


Specimen

Duranta erecta 

Golden Dewdrop, Pigeon-berry 

Drooping raceme 

• B 

• January – December 

• Native to Florida and 

much of Central America 

• Frequent light pruning 

necessary 

• Fruits remain for months 

• 12'x12' 

• Container, Garden, Hedge, 

Parking Lot, Patio, 

Poolside, Streetscape

Duranta erecta 

D. ellisia, D. plumieri, D. repens

Erythrina crista-galli 

Cockspur coral Tree, Cry-Baby-Tree 

• A 

• April-July 

• 14 flowering days 

• Deciduous before 

flowering 

• Armed with 

curved spines 

• Racemes are 

commonly 2 feet 

long

Erythrina crista-galli 

Cockspur coral Tree, Cry-Baby-Tree 

Terminal raceme

Erythrina herbacea 

Cardinal-spear, Cherokee-bean, Coral-Bean 

• C 

• February – 

June 

• Florida Native 

• Deciduous or 

Evergreen 

• Spiny 

• Borers

Erythrina herbacea 

Cardinal-spear, Cherokee-bean, Coral-Bean 

Trifoliate leaf; 

Constricted 

dehiscent pod 

with bright red 

seeds. 

Upright raceme to 

about 2 feet long

Erythrina speciosa

Erythrina speciosa 

Little Coral Tree 

• A 

• February – April 

• Deciduous just 

before and while 

flowering 

• 15’x15’ 

• Spiny 

• Borers

Erythrina variegata 

Coral Tree

Pachypodium lamerei 

Madagascar Palm 


• Origin: Western 

Madagascar 



• Nutritional Req.: Low 



• Messiness: Low

Pachypodium lamerei 

Madagascar Palm 

Flowers: Salverform, white, 5 petals, 

fragrant, to 8 inches long arranged on 

cymes 

Leaves: Simple, 

alternate, elliptic, dark 

green to 10 inches 

long in whorls at 

branch tips 

Fruits: Capsules, 

tube-like, to 8 inches 

long

Plumeria rubra 

Frangipani 


• Origin: Central 

America, Central 

Mexico 

• Salt Tolerance: High 





• Messiness: High 

when with leaves


Frangipani

Rubra form 


Frangipani 

Lutea form

Acutifolia form 


Frangipani 

Flowers: Salverform, 

fleshy, strongly 

perfumed, white, 

yellow, pink, to 4 ½ 

inches wide and 2 ¾ 

long, on a terminal 

rather lax corymbose

Fruits: Follicles, tapered to 

6 inches long usually held 

in pairs and not often 

produced 


Frangipani

A rust fungus, Coleosporuim 

plumeriae, causes premature 

deciduousness. In some cases, the 

rust makes it appearance along with 

the new leaves. By September of 

each year, there can be so much rust 

on a tree that a good shake of the 

tree will rain down an orange dust of 

spores. 

Frangipani 

caterpillars

Plumeria or Frangipani 

Plumeria obtusa var. Singapore 

• Flower Display: A+ 

• Origin: Bahamas, 

Caribbean 

• Salt tolerance: High 





• Messiness: Medium when 

deciduous

Plumeria or Frangipani 

Plumeria obtusa var. Singapore 

Leaves: Simple, alternate, oblong to obovate, dark green, from 6 to 14 

inches long, curved under at edge with blunt or indented tips 

Flowers: Salvereform, to 2 inches long having 5, not overlapping, white 

petals with yellow throat borne on terminal cymes

Plumeria pudica 

Bridal Bouquet 

A 


Flowering Month(s): April - 

December Typical 

Dimension: 13'x9' Messiness: 

Low Drought Tolerance: 

High Nutritional Req: Low 

Major Problems: Whiteflies

Plumeria pudica 

Bridal Bouquet 

Leaves: Simple, oblong to spathulate, to 7 inches with a pair of large lobes 

near the pointed tip 

Flowers: Salverform, white, 5 overlapping petals, with yellow throat, up to 

3 ½ inches across, and arranged on terminal cymes 

Fruits: Follicles, dark brown, usuallay borne in pairs

Euphorbia leucocephala 

Christmas Bush 

• A+ 

• November – 

January 


• Deciduous below 

40F 


• 10’x12 

• Fruits rare in the 

U.S.

Gordonia lasianthus 

Loblolly Bay 

• C 

• May – June 

• Evergreen 

• Florida Native 

• Low drought 

tolerance 

• Natural in wet areas 

• Pyramidal shape 

• Straight-trunked tree


Loblolly Bay


Loblolly Bay 

Leaf: Simple, alternate, long-elliptic, dark green, leathery 2-5 inches 

long, margin evenly and finely toothed 

Flower: Single, axillary, five creamy white petals surrounding a center 

of yellow stamens


Silver Trumpet Tree/Yellow Poui 

• A+ 

• March 


• Semi-deciduous 

or deciduous 

before and while 

flowering


Silver Trumpet Tree 

T. aurea begins to bloom when the tree commences to 

lose its leaves. Trees flower with varying degrees of leaf 

retention. The most desirable flowering with no leaves.


Silver Trumpet Tree 

Leaves: Palmate, opposite, to 11” long, with 5-7 oblong-elliptic to oblonglanceolate 

leaflets 

Flowers: Funnelform, flaring mouth, bright yellow on terminal panicles 

Fruits: Follicle, oblong, narrow at each extreme, somewhat woody, to 6 inches 

long

Tabebuia bahamensis 

Five Fingers/Bahamian Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia bahamensis 

Five Fingers, Bahamian Trumpet Tree 

• C 

• March-April 

• Deciduous 

• High Salt Tolerance 

• High Drought Tolerance 

• 12’x8’

Tabebuia heptaphylla 

Bignonia heptaphylla, T. avellanedae

Tabebuia heptaphylla 

Pink Trumpet Tree 

• A+ 

• January – February 

• Deciduous when 

flowering’ 

• Medium Drought 

Tolerance 

• 40’x50’

Tabebuia hetrophylla 


• B+ 

• March – April, 

sporadic throughout 

the year 

• High Salt Tolerance. 

Will grow on beach 

sand 

• 25’x20’



Leaves: Palmate, opposite, 6-12 inches long, with mostly 3-5 leathery, elloptic 

to obovate leaflets 

Flowers: Funnelform, upper-half pink or lavender, rarely white, bottom-half 

crème colored, yellow throat fades to white, to 3 inches long on terminal 

panicles 

Fruits: Capsules, narrow, linear-cylindric, green, to 8 inches long and 0.4 

inches wide


Pink Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia impetiginosa 

Purple Tabebuia Tree, Ipe 

• A+ 



• Deciduous when 

flowering 


tolerance 

• Widely available

Tabebuia impetiginosa 

Purple Tabebuia Tree, Ipe

Tabebuia ochracea 

Gold Trumpet Tree 

• A+ 


• Trees flower when quite 

young 


• 24 deciduous days 

• High drought tolerance 

• Velvety buds, fuzzy 

brown velvety fruits 

• Attracts epiphytic plants

Tabebuia ochracea 

Gold Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia umbellata 

No common name found 

• A 

• March-April 


• Open growth 

habit 

• Very cold 

tolerant/10F 

• High nutrition 

demand 

• Slow growth 

• 40’x34’

Tabebuia umbellata 

T. eximia, Tecoma umbellata

Flowering Trees of South Florida - Miami-Dade County Extension ...

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