Light: Both Cassia and Bauhinia need at least 6 hours of direct
sunlight daily. Cassias handle intense heat; Bauhinias can take light
afternoon shade.
Soil: Use loose, fast-draining soil. Mix equal parts garden
soil, coarse sand, and compost.
Watering: Keep evenly moist but never soggy. Cassias tolerate
dry spells once established; Bauhinias prefer steady moisture. Water when
the
top inch feels dry.
Feeding:
For profuse flowering, feed with liquid Sunshine
Boosters Megaflor that is safe to use with every watering,
year around. You may also apply Green
Magic controlled release fertilizer every 6 months. Bauhinias and
Cassias respond quickly to feeding.
Pruning:
After flowering, prune lightly to shape and remove dead tips. Cassias can
be trimmed to shrub form; Bauhinias stay bushy with pinching.
Mulch:
Add a 2-inch mulch layer around the base to conserve moisture and prevent
weeds, but keep mulch off the trunk.
Cold protection:
Most Cassias handle brief frost; some Bauhinias like B. acuminata
and B. monandra must be sheltered below freezing. For cold nights,
cover
with frost cloth or move containers into shelter.
Dormancy: Outside of tropics, most Bauhinias drop leaves in
winter for a short period of time, right before flowering and are called
"semi-deciduous". Cassias stay evergreen.
Indoor or Porch Care (cool-climate growers)
Container: Choose a sturdy pot with several drainage holes, one
size larger than the root ball. Unglazed clay or thick plastic pots work
best
for heat regulation. Use a light, well-drained mix such as professional
soilless mix
Abundance. Both Cassias and Bauhinias dislike soggy roots. Add a thin
layer
of coarse gravel at the bottom to improve drainage. Repot every 1–2
years in spring
Light:
Brightest spot possible - south-facing window or heated sunroom. Supplement
with a grow light if sunlight is weak.
Temperature:
Keep potted trees in warm environment for best results. The optimum
temperature for Cassias and Bauhinias is between 60–85 F, although
many
species can tolerate cooler temperatures. Avoid cold drafts and sudden
drops.
Humidity:
Average indoor humidity is fine; occasional misting keeps foliage
glossy.
Watering:
Water sparingly in winter when growth slows; allow the top inch to dry
between waterings. Do not let roots sit in water.
Fertilizing:
Feed with Sunshine
Boosters Megaflor that is safe to use with every watering,
year around, to maintain flowering indoors. You may also apply Green
Magic controlled release fertilizer every 6 months.
Pest watch:
Check undersides of leaves for aphids or whitefly. A light spray of neem
oil or insecticidal soap clears them fast.
"Whether you crave golden summer fireworks or soft orchid blooms that last
nearly all year, both Cassia and Bauhinia bring pure joy to the garden.
💖 Bring color that never quits."
Did you know: Fall is the best planting season —
roots grow faster and you’ll have flowers by spring!
Looking for a small tree that blooms like fireworks but still fits on
your patio? We hear this question all the time at Top Tropicals: Cassia or
Bauhinia? Both are tropical showstoppers, but they shine in very different
ways.
🌞
Cassias: Sunshine Fireworks
Cassia trees
are some of the most rewarding tropical bloomers you can
grow. Fast-growing, free-flowering, and surprisingly cold-tolerant, they
thrive in full sun and summer heat. Their bright clusters come in shades of
yellow, orange, pink, red, and even multicolor blends. The famous Rainbow
Cassias
show swirls of coral, gold, and rose on the same tree, creating a living
fireworks display.
Cassias can also be grown in pots with pruning and
patience. Once mature, they reward you with breathtaking color that turns
any patio
or pool deck into a tropical show. Most showy cassias (numbers correspond to
the photos in the collage above):
Cassia
bicapsularis (Butterfly Bush) - is a fast-growing,
low-maintenance shrub covered in bright yellow, butterfly-like blooms from
fall
through winter.
Cassia roxburghii (Ceylon Senna) - graceful tree with spreading,
drooping branches appearing to be overweighed by its wealth of clustering
red
blossoms.
Cassia
x nodosa (Pink Shower) - is a spectacular medium-sized, fast-growing
tree with cascading clusters of fragrant pink-and-white appleblossom blooms
in spring and summer.
Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) - to many tropical gardeners, the
most beautiful of cassias with masses of bright gold flower clusters appear
on
almost every branch.
Cassia javanica (Apple Blossom) - dazzles with dense clusters of
pink-to-white blossoms that change shades as they bloom, creating a
spectacular
display that lasts for months.
"Cassias love the heat and sunshine," says Tatiana
Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert. "They are perfect for anyone
who wants big
bursts of color and doesn’t mind giving them space and light to grow."
Bauhinia Magic: Orchid-Like Blooms in a Compact Size
Bauhinia orchid trees: top left
– Bauhinia acuminata (Dwarf White Orchid Tree), middle left –
Bauhinia blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree), bottom left – Bauhinia
monandra
(Napoleon’s Plume Orchid Tree), top right – Bauhinia
madagascariensis (Red Dwarf Orchid Tree), and bottom right – Bauhinia
tomentosa
(Yellow Orchid Tree)
Bauhinia trees
known as Orchid Trees, bring a touch of tropical luxury
to any space. Their butterfly-shaped leaves and orchid-like blossoms appear
in shades of red, pink, purple, white, and yellow, often lasting up to ten
months a year. Bauhinias are ideal for gardeners who want nonstop color in a
manageable size. Most species grow well in large pots and bloom young, often
within the first season.
The following compact varieties stay neat and flower almost
continuously in warm weather:
Bauhinia blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree). A large tree in the
ground, but compact in pots if trimmed. Grafted trees flower right
away.
Winter bloomer, cold hardy to light frost.
The Hong Kong Orchid Tree is especially prized because it
is sterile and produces no messy seed pods, keeping patios clean. Grafted Buhinia
blakeana trees begin blooming while still small, making them perfect for
containers or tight spaces.
"Bauhinias are generous bloomers," Tatiana explains. "They respond
beautifully to regular feeding and full sun. If nights turn too cold, just
move the
pot to a sunny porch - they’ll keep their tropical charm most of the
year."
Give them full sun, regular fertilizer, and a well-drained
mix such as Sunshine
Abundance, and they will reward you with months of vivid
blooms. When nights turn too cold, simply move the pot to a sunny porch or
bright
window. Bauhinias adjust beautifully and keep their tropical grace year
after
year.
🎥
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Compact Bauhinias - everblooming container trees. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
Compact Bauhinias - everblooming container trees
Compact Bauhinias - everblooming container trees
🌈 Compact Bauhinias - everblooming container trees
📸 Pictures for the previous post, Bauhinias:
▫️Bauhinia madagascariensis - Red Dwarf Orchid Tree. Blooms from winter through fall, up to 10 months a year. The most cold-hardy of all.
▫️Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree. A large tree in the ground, but compact in pots if trimmed. Grafted trees flower right away. Winter bloomer, cold hardy to light frost.
▫️Bauhinia tomentosa - Yellow Orchid Tree. Flowers from Winter through Summer, cold hardy to light frost.
▫️Bauhinia monandra - Napoleon's Plume Orchid Tree. Almost everblooming with the longest flowering period (less cold hardy than the first three).
▫️Bauhinia acuminata - Dwarf White Orchid Tree. Blooms from summer through winter (also less cold hardy than the first three).
Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree?
Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree?
🌈 Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree?
🌸 Cassia (Senna) trees are very popular flowering trees - fast growing, free-flowering, relatively cold hardy, and they love the summer heat. Cassias come in several colors: yellow, orange, pink, red, and rainbow. Rainbow varieties (which are hybrids between yellow and pink cassias) are the most popular thanks to their multicolor blooms with swirls of yellow, pink, red, and orange. But while Rainbow Cassia is a spectacular flowering tree for southern gardens, is it a good choice for a container when you want color on your patio or pool deck?
🌸 Some yellow-flowering cassias make attractive bushes that bloom most of the year and stay compact, so they can be grown as container specimens:
🌸 When it comes to Rainbow or pink cassias such as Cassia javanica - Apple Blossom Tree or Cassia grandis- Red Cassia and other species and hybrids (Cassia marginata - Rainbow Shower Tree, Cassia roxburghii - Ceylon Senna, Cassia x nodosa - Pink Shower), these are usually more vigorous trees that may take several years to bloom. Their flowering season lasts from a few weeks to a couple of months. These trees grow moderately fast but typically need to reach about 10 feet before they start flowering.
🌸 So, the answer is: if you want rich, deep color year-round from a container tree, go with Bauhinias - Orchid Trees. Most varieties grow well in pots, stay compact, and reach blooming maturity within just one season. The following varieties are everblooming and can produce flowers for up to 10 months of the year:
▫️Bauhinia madagascariensis - Red Dwarf Orchid Tree. Blooms from winter through fall, up to 10 months a year. The most cold-hardy of all.
▫️Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree. A large tree in the ground, but compact in pots if trimmed. Grafted trees flower right away. Winter bloomer, cold hardy to light frost.
▫️Bauhinia tomentosa - Yellow Orchid Tree. Flowers from Winter through Summer, cold hardy to light frost.
▫️Bauhiniamonandra - Napoleon's Plume Orchid Tree. Almost everblooming with the longest flowering period (less cold hardy than the first three).
▫️Bauhinia acuminata - Dwarf White Orchid Tree. Blooms from summer through winter (also less cold hardy than the first three).
11 tropical fruits to eat instead of taking a fiber supplement. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
11 tropical fruits to eat instead of taking a fiber supplement
Tropical fruits to eat instead of taking a fiber supplement
🍑 11 tropical fruits to eat instead of taking a fiber supplement
When we think of tropical fruit, we picture sweetness, sunshine, and exotic flavors packed with vitamin C. But beneath all that juicy goodness lies another gift: dietary fiber - quietly working to support digestion, feed the gut microbiome, and help keep blood sugar steady.
Avocado leads the pack among tropical fruits for fiber content. One creamy, ripe fruit can provide around 10 grams of fiber, roughly a third of an adult’s daily need. And there’s more to avocado than fiber - it’s also rich in healthy fats, micronutrients, and that silky texture everyone loves.
Other tropical fruits bring their own kind of fiber strength. Guava delivers up to 9 grams per cup, plus a burst of vitamin C.
Mango offers about 3 grams in half a fruit, especially when eaten with some of the skin.
Pineapple, though not always seen as a fiber powerhouse, still contributes around 2 grams per cup, along with bromelain, the enzyme that helps digestion.
Jackfruit’s fibrous pulp makes it another standout - it’s so meaty, it’s even used as a plant-based substitute in savory dishes.
Sapote fruit (Mamey, Canistel) and Sapodilla add fiber with a smooth, custard-like texture.
Adventurous tropical varieties like Annona (custard apple, soursop) may not top the charts in fiber numbers, but their soft, fibrous flesh still adds value: about 1.3 grams of fiber per 100 grams of fruit.
Bananas contain both soluble and insoluble fiber; the soluble part (mainly pectin) helps control blood sugar and appetite, while the insoluble fiber aids regularity.
Mulberries are rich in insoluble fiber, especially in their skin, supporting digestion and promoting healthy bowel movements.
Dragon fruit offers a mix of soluble fiber in its juicy flesh and insoluble fiber from its tiny edible seeds, which help support gut health and feed good bacteria.
These fruits aren’t just delicious - they help you meet your daily fiber needs in ways that are far more enjoyable (and sustainable) than taking supplements. And when home gardeners, farmers, or tropical communities grow and share them, it’s a double win: nutrition and tradition hand in hand.
✔️ Tropical fiber power: tips for getting more fiber from tropical fruits
⏺Eat whole, not juiced. Most of the fiber is in the pulp, skin, and seeds. Juicing removes much of that goodness.
⏺Mix it up. Tropical fruits are great, but balance them with legumes, whole grains, nuts, and veggies for a full fiber range.
⏺Take it slow. If your diet is low in fiber, increase gradually to avoid bloating or discomfort.
⏺Drink plenty of water. Fiber works best when paired with hydration.
⏺Mind the ripeness. Unripe fruits can have more resistant starch, another form of fiber.
⏺Get creative. Toss tropical fruits into smoothies, salsas, breakfast bowls, or even desserts - a tasty stealth-fiber strategy.
Detailed Cassia and Bauhinia Care Guide
