"...Edging the golf course of the club was a glorious sweep of
glowing purple. Even before I was near enough to identify the trees, the rich,
heady perfume which filled the air told me they were Bauhinias. The sight left me
breathless and it was then I realized how difficult was the attempt I was
making to describe in mere words the trees I know better how to paint..."
(D. Cowen, "Flowering trees and shrubs of India")
Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree, is the most beautiful of all
orchid trees, and the most wanted one. It has the largest flowers, brightly
colored. Winter bloomer. These trees start flowering in very small size, when
only 2-3 ft tall!
Certainly seeing flowering Bauhinia blakeana is one of the best things a
plant collector will love about winter. It truly is the most beautiful orchid
tree!
Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by subscribing to our channel at
YouTube.com/TopTropicals
and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!
Date: 6 Nov 2020
Tropical Plant Art Contest:
we counted all the votes!
Painting above: 3rd place: "Tropical Florida" by Linda
Hedary
"WOW! So many great works! Our followers certainly have a GREAT
collective talent!
Makes me so proud!" - a quote from TopTropicals Art Jury member, artist
Mark Hooten.
Now that the whole country in in competition mode, gardeners are no
exception! Every painting is a work of art and it was hard for the Jury to make
the decision. We counted in all the votes that came in by the deadline ;)
Finally, we are happy to announce the winners of the Plant Art Contest!.
Visit our 2020 Tropical Plant Art Contest Page on our website and see all
participant entries, winners and their prizes!
All winners will be contacted by us via email or Facebook within a few
days for their prizes. If you haven't heard from us by 11/9/20, please contact us with
the subject "Tropical Plant Art Contest" and your shipping information. You may also simply reply to this email, just make sure to set the proper subject.
A few entries came late, pass deadline/voting, keep up with the great
artwork and don't miss the next contest submission!
Thank you to all the amazing plant lovers who shared your artwork and
talents with us. So much creativity and beauty for everyone to enjoy! Happy
painting, and stay updated - new contest will be coming soon!
Painting above: "Hibiscus Wish" by Santhoshi Kavali
Painting above: "Purple Passion" by Joan Maier. Joan's painting "Butterfly" is the 1st place winner (see
Contest page)
Date: 30 May 2019
Selecting the right jasmine
Q: Would you please help me select the right jasmine? I want to
find a jasmine that smells like lily of the valley or honeysuckle or roses,
not the one that smells like gardenia. I'm in Missouri, zone 6, so I want a
jasmine for my deck for the summer, so I want it to bloom this season.
A: There are 3 major types of tropical flower fragrances - Sweet,
Fresh, and Fruity (including Lemony). Below are the most interesting
fragrant tropical flowers, excluding Gardenias (which are sweet type). These are all
same-year bloomers, so you can enjoy the fragrance this year assuming proper
care and bloom booster feeding.
* - The fastest growers that can be treated as annuals. Others can be
grown in a pot and brought inside for winter, and be enjoyed every year.
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: Cassia didymobotrya- Popcorn Cassia Senna alata- Empress Candles Cassia fistula- Golden Shower (a compact size winter blooming tree)
🌸 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).
