♦️ Other cassias can be pink or with multi-color flower combination, so-called Rainbow cassias (which are hybrids between yellow and pink cassias):
Cassia grandis - Red Cassia Cassia javanica - Apple Blossom Tree Cassia marginata - Rainbow Shower Tree Cassia roxburghii - Ceylon Senna Cassia x nodosa - Pink Shower, Appleblossom.
♦️ Cassia trees are compact, fast growing, tolerant to drought and poor soils, free-flowering and relatively cold hardy. Always a great choice!
❓ What cassias do you have in your garden? Share photos in comments👇
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).
Guavas love full sun — aim for 6–8 hours of direct light.
They’re adaptable to many soils but do best in well-drained, organic-enriched
mixes. Plant them in a spot where you can water
easily; guavas are thirsty trees during fruiting.
Container & Indoor Growing
Don’t have space or live in a cooler climate? Guavas thrive in
large pots. Use well-drained potting mix. LINK TO OUR SOIL Keep them on a
sunny
patio during warm months and bring them indoors when nights dip below
freezing. Compact varieties like Dwarf Hawaiian
Rainbow or Tikal are especially
good for pots.
Winter Care
Mature guavas can handle a light frost (down into the high 20s F), but
young plants need protection. If planted outdoors, cover them with frost
cloth
on cold nights. Container guavas can be wheeled into a garage, greenhouse,
or bright indoor window until the weather warms.
Watering and Fertilizing
Water deeply once or twice a week, more often in hot weather or when
fruit is developing. They don’t like soggy soil, but they won’t
complain about short floods either. Fertilize 3–4 times a year during
the
growing season with a balanced fruit tree fertilizer. Guavas especially love
potassium and phosphorus for strong flowering and heavy crops. We recommend
liquid crop booster Sunshine
C-Cibus and balanced controlled release fertilizer Green
Magic.
Pruning
Prune after fruiting to keep them compact and open up airflow. Remove
crossing or dead branches. In containers, trim back vigorous shoots
regularly
to manage size and encourage more fruiting wood.
Pests and Problems
Guavas are generally tough and pest-resistant. The main thing to watch
for in humid or rainy climates is mealybugs - those cottony white clusters
on
leaves or stems. They're easy to manage with neem oil or a quick spray of
horticultural soap.
Fruit time
Guavas fruit young - often within a year or two.
Pollination
Guavas are self-pollinating, so you'll get fruit even with a single
tree. Planting more than one tree, however, often boosts harvests and gives
you a
longer fruiting season.
If you've ever wanted instant gratification from a fruit tree, guava is
it.
🍴
Guava Recipes
With all that fruit, the next question is always: "What do I do with
it?" Here are our favorites:
Cas Guava: Make Agua de Cas
Boil halved Cas Guava fruits with sugar, simmer, strain, and bottle.
Dilute with water when serving. The concentrate keeps for months in the
fridge.
Check out the recipe.
Hawaiian Gold: Make Drinks
Perfect for Mojitos or Margaritas. Sweet, tangy juice pairs beautifully
with lime and mint. Learn more
Araca Pera: Guava Wine
Famous in Brazil, where the fruit is turned into a vibrant rosу wine.
Locals say it’s the taste of summer in a glass — and yes, you
can make it at home too. Learn more...
Quick snack: Guava Grilled Cheese
Spread guava paste or fresh mashed fruit with cheese, grill until
golden. Sweet and savory heaven. Learn more...
Simple Guava Juice
Blend ripe guavas with water, ice, and a little sugar if you like. Instant
refreshment.
✅Ready to Grow? Whether you want fresh juice, sweet fruit,
or even your own guava wine, we’ve got the best varieties in stock
right now. Your future self, sipping guava juice on a hot summer afternoon,
will
thank you.
Today we are introducing a new column - Mango Talk! Everybody loves Mango
- the most delicious fruit in the world. Fruit experts like to talk about
varieties, how to grow a Mango tree better, and the fruit bigger and sweeter.
And beginners want to know more! What variety to get? How to take care of it?
How to get more fruit sooner than later?
This easy-read blog from Ed Jones is about the first steps - what to do
when you get your first Mango tree...
In our future publications, you will hear from Mango experts and have a
tour on Mango varieties...
Fertilize your Mango trees
By Ed Jones, the Booster Guy
Ok, you finally did it. You bought your first mango tree. Now what?
Well, you have to love it and feed it and trim it and love it some more. But
today, lets talk about how to fertilize your mango tree.
The photo above shows some very small grafted mango trees. This is probably
how yours will look when you bring them home or have them delivered....