Lonchocarpus violaceus- Lancepod Tree flowering

[Eric in Orlando]

Our Lancepod Tree, Lonchocarpus violaceus, is flowering for the first time. This is a nice smaller, tropical tree that flowers in the fall. The flowers are scented and smell very similar to Northern lilacs. The bees also love it and there were lots of honeybees, bumblebees and others drawn to it.

[Eric in Orlando]

[Peter]

Beautiful Eric!

[Jason in Orlando]

What kind of cold tolerance have you observed on this tree Eric?

Jason

[bahia]

Gorgeous tree, wish we could grow it here, but it has a general look of something that wouldn't like a northern California environment, or as has been said by many visiting tourists in summer, " This might as well be winter it feels so frigid!"

[mike-coral gables]

Eric, I have the same question as Jason regarding cold tolerance. I have some some 2' seedlings that I plan to install on my property in Mt Dora. Beautiful tree here in South Fl, only problem Hurricane Sandy knocked flowers off the trees! BTW, very easy to propogate from seed pods.

[fastfeat]

I believe this tree (or possibly another Lonchocarpus species?) is growing at Mildred Mathias BG at UCLA (and once existed at the Hotel Bel-Air) in West LA area. I believe it will take some frost, but probably not much.

[Eric in Orlando]

We had a tree almost this size killed in Jan. 2003 after one night at 27F. But suprisingly the tree in the photo survived the cold 2009-2010 winter with no damage, even with 12 nights below 32F. The coldest night was 29F.

[Peter]

Looks very 'Millettia' like.

[ariscott]

seeds???? he he he... I can't help myself with purple flowers....

[LJG]

This tree did not like winter and after the second it died for me. I bought one from Top Tropicals a few years back. I will try again just grow it up to a larger calibered tree before planting. It was a slow starter to grow coming out of winter too.

[fastfeat]

Don Hodel said that the Lonchocarpus at the Bel Air Hotel was about 40'/13m tall when he photographed it for his book Exceptional Trees of Los Angeles. Given that size, I'd surmise it wasn't L. violaceus, but another species. There are over 100spp.