Tabebuia

[sur4z]

I am fairly certain the first picture is a tab but I am not certain about the second. Can anybody ID the second?

[Eric in Orlando]

Yes, they are both Tabebuia. The first is T. aurea (formerly T. argentea or T. caraiba). The 2nd is T. heterophylla (often misID'ed as T. pallida).

Both also have remained in Tabebuia, unlike some other common species which have recently been seperated out into Handroanthus.

[Eric in Orlando]

Yes, they are both Tabebuia. The first is T. aurea (formerly T. argentea or T. caraiba). The 2nd is T. heterophylla (often misID'ed as T. pallida).

Both also have remained in Tabebuia, unlike some other common species which have recently been seperated out into Handroanthus.

[gsytch]

Love Tabby's but they are easily toppled in hurricanes! I lost a big, beautfiul pink one back in '04. What a nice shade tree with spring blossoms...but alas, it went down in the storm. It sprouted back, but kept coming back bushy not as a tree, so I removed it.

[Tulio]

Eric,

Which ones have been separated into Handroanthus?

[Ken Johnson]

That first one has some real character. They can be onamental in that way too but the week root systems give way in heavy wind. Heavy prunning every year can help with this problem.

[ariscott]

Love Tabby's but they are easily toppled in hurricanes! I lost a big, beautfiul pink one back in '04. What a nice shade tree with spring blossoms...but alas, it went down in the storm. It sprouted back, but kept coming back bushy not as a tree, so I removed it.

Are you sure? We have heaps of Tabebuia planted around Darwin. I guess we haven't had a heavy blow lately...

Regards, Ari

[Eric in Orlando]

Eric,

Which ones have been separated into Handroanthus?

The 3 most common in central FL have all been placed into Handroanthus;

Tabebuia chrysotricha is now Handroanthus chrysotrichus

T. impetiginosa is now H. impetiginosus

T. umbellata is now H. umbellatus

some others;

T. alba= H. albus

T. chrysantha= H. chrysanthus

T. heptaphylla= H. heptaphyllus

Tabebuia bahamensis, T.rosea and T. roseoalba remain in Tabebuia

Tabebuia donnell-smithii is now Roseodendron donnell-smithii, also had been placed in Cybistax

[Eric in Orlando]

Love Tabby's but they are easily toppled in hurricanes! I lost a big, beautfiul pink one back in '04. What a nice shade tree with spring blossoms...but alas, it went down in the storm. It sprouted back, but kept coming back bushy not as a tree, so I removed it.

Are you sure? We have heaps of Tabebuia planted around Darwin. I guess we haven't had a heavy blow lately...

Regards, Ari

Around here they did well during the 3 hurricanes of 2004, except young,recently planted specimens. In SoFL it is hard for them to get a strong root system established on the coral rock. But T. aurea is weak when young even on sandy soil. Once it grows and gets established after a few years then it is a fairly strong tree.

Also you have the problem with weak rooted specimens resulting from poorly grown nursery specimens. They are a fast growing tree in production and often are sold with circling/girdling roots. The tree will appear to be healthy and growing well then a storm blows it over and you can see the poor root system.

[ariscott]

Most of my trees are from very young trees... I hope that helps with the good root systems. And we don't have any rocks in the property. I just have to wish for the best...

Regards, Ari

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

In spite of the danger of over simplifying, the Tabebuias are the ones with the weaker wood and root system. Handroanthus are very hard wood and decent root system, if, as Eric points out, the tree starts with a good root system from the nursery.