The Tropical Almond

[bubba]

Saw this tree for many years and noticed that at the first cold, this happened:

Thought it had died but apparently a natural occurrence. Closer shot:

[epicure3]

That's about the nicest fall color in S. Florida that you'll see. Quite beautiful.

[ariscott]

They do it in the tropics too...

Regards, Ari

[bahia]

One of my favorite tropical trees for coastal conditions, and it is widely planted along the beaches of Brazil, with very old and large trees in my favorite town of Salvador, Bahia. It also regularly colors up there, and if I recall correctly, it seems to have a bit of color at all seasons, rather than one big seasonal show. This tree is also quite popular in coastal parts of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, as it tolerates salty subsoil high water table conditions and extreme heat, as long as it is given irrigation. I remember making a trip from Riyadh to the east coast to scout for large trees to use on a palace landscaping project, and they do transplant readily at large sizes. The climate in Riyadh could be a touch tough on them, however, as it could occasionally dip down to freezing temps, which they definitely don't like.

[bubba]

On Topic, I saw another big one today:

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Although some don't like them in Florida, I do. They color up very nicely, something that is a rarity here. Also, if you find one that has been pruned and maintained nicely, they have a very pleasing layered look to them. The more common Black Olive, which is related, has the same red to the leaves before they fall but not nearly as nice a display.