Project flowering tree ideas for Florida

[Carol 83]

Sadly, they are loaded with thorns, which is what I'm trying to avoid.

I just cut them off, doesn't harm the tree at all.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

This looks like an interesting one for me. Available at Top Tropical in Fort Myers. $32 for a 1 gallon sounds a little steep but maybe worth seeing in person.

If you were able to visit Top Tropicals in person, I'm sure it would be worth the effort. SHipping is expensive. There is a benefit to choose which trunk you want.

 

[SWfloirda]

If you were able to visit Top Tropicals in person, I'm sure it would be worth the effort. SHipping is expensive. There is a benefit to choose which trunk you want.

It's 45 minutes away, I'd never pay for shipping for that far. Plus yes I would very much want to see exactly what I'm getting I was on the website seeing what they had. I see they also have several types of Bauhinia as well along with a multitude of other interesting things. I have been meaning to go there for years. My problem is that Wigerts is closer and more convenient and I can't afford what I'd really like from there either.

 

[SWfloirda]

The sweet plum looks intriguing, though. How difficult are they to care for? Any special concerns like pests or soil needs?

I've had mine for a year. No pest problems that I saw, it grew a lot and had plenty of blooms before the storm. Fingers crossed for flowers next year.

 

[Matt B]

I happened across Flame Tree, or Royal Poinciana. It has a Brazilian Raintree vibe with complex leaves and red flowers, and I know there is a mature one in the neighborhood in an empty lot that has to be 50 feet tall. One of the lowest branches could be hooked and brought down to ground level with a little coaxing. Anyone have any idea if these can be layered to yield a mature (flowering) specimen, and if so, what month would be ideal to give it a shot in Southwest Florida (zone 9)?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

If you want a group of truly exotic trees or woody shrubs, look for Vireya rhododendrons. This is a sub group of rhododendron that are mostly epiphytic tropical shrubs. Beautiful flowers, often fragrant, and true woody shrubs. They are difficult to source. Worth seeking out. Grow them in orchid bark mix rather than bonsai media.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The source of Vireya I used some 30 years ago is out of business, but there's one still in business. They are in Hawaii.

Page Title

Pacific Island Nursery is a mail-order nursery located in Keaau, Hawaii specializing in Hawaii grown Vireya Rhododendron and other tropical plants, such as cordyline ti, pandan.

www.pacificislandnursery.com

 

[Matt B]

If you want a group of truly exotic trees or woody shrubs, look for Vireya rhododendrons. This is a sub group of rhododendron that are mostly epiphytic tropical shrubs. Beautiful flowers, often fragrant, and true woody shrubs. They are difficult to source. Worth seeking out. Grow them in orchid bark mix rather than bonsai media.

The flowers are great! How do you control the leaf size and tendency to vine out? In the photos I'm seeing they seem to want to grow in long stringers with big leaves.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

A small few have small leaves, for example R pauciflora. They do vine, though pauciflora had short internodes. Pruning will force branching, though they won't branch as easily as a Satsuki azalea.

 

[Potawatomi13]

people wonder why you have a pot with a well-groomed weed in it. LOL

Because we are COOL. So are Crepe myrtle.

 

[Katie0317]

It seems you're looking for a problem when there isn't one. We're in nirvana for bonsai. We're in the semi-tropics from Orlando and south. There are very few tropical varieties we can't grow. We can even grow maples in Orlando but 50 miles south and it's too hot.

So you don't want thorns...Hardly a deal breaker. Don't choose bougainvillea or BRT's. The rest are golden. What is this about not choosing water jasmine because the flowers are white? You don't want white flowers? We're so lucky that we can grow bonsai with flowers of all colors.

Try a sea hibiscus, a dwarf barbados cherry for beautiful pink flowers, a natal plum, serissas...The list is too long to begin to type.

Go to Wigert's and buy some trees. Honestly, your problem is not a problem. There are dedicated people on this forum who go through amazing gyrations to grow bonsai. Moving them indoors under lights in the winter and then moving them outdoors during the day and back inside at night waiting for a full spring. My hat's off to those people. They don't have the luxury we do of only taking them in a few nights of the year.

 

[Zelrod]

If you were able to visit Top Tropicals in person, I'm sure it would be worth the effort. SHipping is expensive. There is a benefit to choose which trunk you want.

Top tropicals is on the pricey side of non-bonsai nurseries but they do have a wide variety of plants.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Top tropicals is on the pricey side of non-bonsai nurseries but they do have a wide variety of plants.

I agree, but often they are they only commercial nursery offering a certain species. When you can't find it elsewhere, what to do? Most places have only one species of Bauhinia, Top Tropicals has a dozen plus different colors of a few. Like I said, it is an interesting place. It seems if you go to pick up, most are in gallon pots and larger, rather than tiny liners and 2 or 4 inch pots. So size helps in terms of making one feel like your getting something for the price.