What's your favorite tropical/subtropical trees?

[Fusca]

@kinzyjr, @GDLWyverex and I seem to have similar favorites.  My favorite tropicals (besides ones mentioned) are:

Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit)

Anacardium occidentale (specifically the Cashew of Pirangi)  The canopy of the world's largest cashew tree covers around 1.8 acres!  I've seen it in person in Natal, Brasil.

Couroupita guianensis (cannonball tree)

Plinia cauliflora (jaboticaba)

Tabebuia chrysotricha (known locally as ipê amarelo)

My favorite sub-tropical is Eriobotrya japonica (loquat)  For a zone 8b garden it's got attractive evergreen foliage, drought and cold tolerant plus produces excellent fruit!  Flowers aren't stunning though... 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

                                                                                                                       Australia / Asia / Hawaii..

Australian / S.E Asian Cassia sp.                                                                        Radermachera                                                    Lagerstroemia ( big-leaved / flowered sp. )

Australian Cochlospermum sp., Brachychiton, and Adansonia sps.                  Teak, Tectona grandis                                         True Cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum

Agathis,    Telopea,  Hovea,  Tree - forming sp..                                                   Clove, Syzgium aromaticum                              Nutmeg, Myristica fragrans

Corymbia paupana, torelliana, and ficifolia                                                       Sandalwood, Santalum alba, other sp.                 Pili Nut, Canarium ovatum

Acacia Koa,  Erythrina sandwicensis /                                                 Austral /  Indo-Asian Bauhinia and Erythrina sp.                         Millettia pinnata

Terminalia catappa,   ..other sp. outside of Asia                                                        Bischofia javacina,                                              Austral-Asian Stercula sp.

Guettarda sp. ( Sea Gardenia / Velvet Seeds )                                                              Pinus roxburgii                                                          Quercus glauca      

Ficus auruculata                                                                                        Ficus rubiginosa, playtpoda, macrophylla                     Bombax ceiba /  *malabaricum*

Eucalyptus torquata  ..a few other unique sp.  observed at Boyce Thompson.                Acacia cultirformis, pravassima, and craspedocarpa.               Lysiphyllum sp.




                                                                                                                        Odds n' Ends

Pachira cubensis                                 Hebestigma cubense                           Coccoloba rugosa, and pubescens                        Colvillea racemosa                  Cassia afrofistula

Quercus suber                                      Cyrtocarpa, and Amphipterygium  sp.              Markhamia sp.                                         Cladrastis kentukea                Gymnocladus dioicus

Quercus macrocarpa                             Quercus stellata                                              Quercus muehlenbergii                             Pinus ponderosa                      Pinus jefferyi

Magnolia macrophylla, and M. m. ashei          Magnolia virginiana                               Nyssa sylvatica                                       Sassafrass albidum                   Chionanthus virginicus

[RedRabbit]

On 12/22/2022 at 7:56 AM, kinzyjr said:

@Emman

A few of my favorites:

• Rainbow Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus deglupta
• Florida Strangler Fig: Ficus aurea
• Fiddle-leaf fig: Ficus lyrata
• Indian Banyan Tree: Ficus benghalensis
• Gumbo Limbo: Bursera simaruba
• Royal poinciana: Delonix regia
• Mango: Mangifera indica
• Jackfruit: Artocarpus heterophyllus
• Avocado: Persea americana
• Sea Grapes: Coccoloba uvifera
• Autograph Tree: Clusia rosea

Do you have a Hong Kong orchid yet?

[Silas_Sancona]

On 12/26/2022 at 9:07 PM, georgeinbandonoregon said:

if anybody's interested, here's another large-leaved "tropical" looking evergreen Mexican oak---quercus crassifolia growing at my place in Bandon, Oregon 

You or anyone else up there trialing Q. insignis?  I've seen some postings of on-going trials back east, but don't recall if anyone on this side of the world was yet.

[kinzyjr]

11 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

Do you have a Hong Kong orchid yet?

I don't personally.  The city has a bunch in the flowering tree collection at Lake Morton.  Here is one of them that was recently planted:

[RedRabbit]

10 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

I don't personally.  The city has a bunch in the flowering tree collection at Lake Morton.  Here is one of them that was recently planted:

If you have the space, consider adding one. I’ve noticed they’re very popular here and that’s saying something since they can grow anything. Mine has done exceptionally well in Florida too so I think we are lucky to have a tropicalish tree that seems to love Central Florida.

[georgeinbandonoregon]

13 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

You or anyone else up there trialing Q. insignis?  I've seen some postings of on-going trials back east, but don't recall if anyone on this side of the world was yet.

have at least one plant in a pot outside waiting for a good spot that isn't already occupied by something else to make it's "forever home" in so far so good in the pot thought.

[Looking Glass]

No love for Silver Buttonwoods?   It’s a street/parking lot tree here, but for whatever reason, I love them.   
 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Looking Glass said:

No love for Silver Buttonwoods?   It’s a street/parking lot tree here, but for whatever reason, I love them.   
 

They're neat small trees ..However, at least up in Sarasota / Bradenton, planted specimens, and others at the nursery i worked  for had a tendency to get sooty mold, and / or become thin / kind of ratty looking after awhile. Wayy thinner than the nice ones i'd see when down in Homestead.  Silver leaved variant is also more cold sensitive compared to the standard green.. I actually had plans to grab a couple to try here until i saw what even a little frost did to some smaller ones we had in the nursery..  Not sure it would survive our summer heat as well regardless.. 

Green variety is native along the coast of southern Sonora / eastern Baja Sur.. Someone i know collects seed / starts plants from seed collected down there, i'd try them.

As for blue / silvery leaved trees, no shortage of options for that look here.

[Looking Glass]

37 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

They're neat small trees ..However, at least up in Sarasota / Bradenton, planted specimens, and others at the nursery i worked  for had a tendency to get sooty mold, and / or become thin / kind of ratty looking after awhile. Wayy thinner than the nice ones i'd see when down in Homestead.  Silver leaved variant is also more cold sensitive compared to the standard green.. I actually had plans to grab a couple to try here until i saw what even a little frost did to some smaller ones we had in the nursery..  Not sure it would survive our summer heat as well regardless.. 

Green variety is native along the coast of southern Sonora / eastern Baja Sur.. Someone i know collects seed / starts plants from seed collected down there, i'd try them.

As for blue / silvery leaved trees, no shortage of options for that look here.

They hate the cold, and even here they get sooty mold in part sun on the side of my house. They like full, blazing open sun in Florida.  Not sure how they’d do in desert sun though.  The green ones look nice too.  Both will grow right next to the ocean.  They are both great small trees, with nice curled trunks with a lot of character. 

[Silas_Sancona]

5 minutes ago, Looking Glass said:

They hate the cold, and even here they get sooty mold in part sun on the side of my house. They like full, blazing open sun in Florida.  Not sure how they’d do in desert sun though.  The green ones look nice too.  Both will grow right next to the ocean.  They are both great small trees, with nice curled trunks with a lot of character. 

They're considered second only to Mangrove in terms of importance in Mangrove Forests ( Upland margin ), esp. there in FL.   Agree, full sun they typically look their best..  Great tree for mounting Tillandsia and various Orchids on as well.  Wood supposedly makes excellent charcoal for smoking Fish / other meats.

[johnnymak]

Amherstia nobilis 

Agathis robusta

Casuarina cunninghamiana

Wollemia nobilis

 

 

 

 

[ahosey01]

On 12/29/2022 at 7:45 AM, kinzyjr said:

I don't personally.  The city has a bunch in the flowering tree collection at Lake Morton.  Here is one of them that was recently planted:

These are planted all over Maricopa county and almost always look like trash and are full of deadwood.  Occasionally, however, you see a nice one planted in good (former ag) soil, with no strong western exposure, without an over-raised canopy, and getting plenty of water without becoming chlorotic... And those look just incredible.  My three year old son loves them.  He calls them butterfly trees because of the leaves.

[Cindy Adair]

I am enjoying reading here about favorite trees! Thanks to everyone posting.

My well worn copy of Margaret Barwick’s “Tropical and Subtropical Trees” is across from me in one of my bookcases as I am writing.

I highly recommend it to everyone!

I have only lived on this property in Western Puerto Rico since 2017, but have planted many trees inspired by this book since I first checked it out from my temperate region library.

It is a dream (now come true) to have enough land to welcome my many favorites and watch them grow.

 I started with Cacao/chocolate (Theobroma cacao) and added Allspice (Pimenta dioica), Cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) and Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum).

With hurricanes always a possibility I have planted more than one of each of these just in case calamity strikes.

I also love my fruit trees and handkerchief trees and so many more. 

[Carolpalms]

I had thought the live oak was beautiful until I saw the Mexican oak at the Rose Emporium in Brenham, Tx

Never seen any tree so majestic.  Wish I had the room.

I particularly like the powderpuff tree.  Had 18 degree weather.  Wrapped the trunk in foam for pipes.  

It is still alive.  

[georgeinbandonoregon]

2 hours ago, Carolpalms said:

I had thought the live oak was beautiful until I saw the Mexican oak at the Rose Emporium in Brenham, Tx

Never seen any tree so majestic.  Wish I had the room.

I particularly like the powderpuff tree.  Had 18 degree weather.  Wrapped the trunk in foam for pipes.  

It is still alive.  

just to be clear (AND likely also confuse the issue, LOL) there are literally dozens of ""Mexican oaks" of which sadly only a few are in cultivation in the U.S.  think the most common one in Texas is "Monterey oak" (quercus polymorpha).  the ones pictured on this thread are some of the other species from "south of the border".  that said, most all the oaks from there are beautiful and in many cases surprisingly tough and adaptable---well worthy of growing---IF you can find them.

 

Edited January 3, 2023 by georgeinbandonoregon
add more info.

[Emman]

Can't believe I forgot to mention ceiba speciosa and jacaranda mimosifolia,  beautiful blooms on both and the ceiba's trunk is very cool spiky, succulent looking.

pinus kesiya,  a tropical highland pine reminiscent of loblolly with deep bright green needles

croton megalocarpus, a beautiful umbrella shaped tree from Africa, first discovered it looking at pics of Nairobi, Kenya.

castanopsis sieboldii, a tree common in southern Japan, has an amazing umbrella shape and striking spring blooms, castanopsis sieboldii seems it would be grow well in the southeast, don't why it's not utilized like photinias and camellias.

cecropia varieties and it's look alike musanga cecropioides 

spathodea campanulata

Maybe not strictly a tree but calotropis procera and gigantea look amazing in their larger tree like forms, especially if their leaves are cut to open the view of their thin trunks.

 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

On 1/2/2023 at 10:48 PM, georgeinbandonoregon said:

just to be clear (AND likely also confuse the issue, LOL) there are literally dozens of ""Mexican oaks" of which sadly only a few are in cultivation in the U.S.  think the most common one in Texas is "Monterey oak" (quercus polymorpha).  the ones pictured on this thread are some of the other species from "south of the border".  that said, most all the oaks from there are beautiful and in many cases surprisingly tough and adaptable---well worthy of growing---IF you can find them.

 

Here's another Big leaved Mex. sp. i recently found in a nursery. Quercus tuberculata.   Native to areas of the Sierra Madre inc. Sonora, and parts of Baja Sur ( Sierra de la Laguna Mountains )







Heard from the same people some Q. tarahumara seedlings that had been floating around recently were scraped up by a couple well known local botanical gardens for future inclusion in their collections.

[georgeinbandonoregon]

8 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Here's another Big leaved Mex. sp. i recently found in a nursery. Quercus tuberculata.   Native to areas of the Sierra Madre inc. Sonora, and parts of Baja Sur ( Sierra de la Laguna Mountains )







Heard from the same people some Q. tarahumara seedlings that had been floating around recently were scraped up by a couple well known local botanical gardens for future inclusion in their collections.

again, there are in fact so many "big leaved Mex species" of oak that (assuming you can get them all) would make a substantial and beautiful collection of exotic looking trees.  the trick of course is to be able to get them.  in the meantime we do the best we can and enjoy what we do know something about and can grow---knowing that there are so many more out there---just out of reach, LOL and sigh.

 

[Than]

On 12/29/2022 at 4:17 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

                                                                                                                       Australia / Asia / Hawaii..

Australian / S.E Asian Cassia sp.                                                                        Radermachera                                                    Lagerstroemia ( big-leaved / flowered sp. )

Australian Cochlospermum sp., Brachychiton, and Adansonia sps.                  Teak, Tectona grandis                                         True Cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum

Agathis,    Telopea,  Hovea,  Tree - forming sp..                                                   Clove, Syzgium aromaticum                              Nutmeg, Myristica fragrans

Corymbia paupana, torelliana, and ficifolia                                                       Sandalwood, Santalum alba, other sp.                 Pili Nut, Canarium ovatum

Acacia Koa,  Erythrina sandwicensis /                                                 Austral /  Indo-Asian Bauhinia and Erythrina sp.                         Millettia pinnata

Terminalia catappa,   ..other sp. outside of Asia                                                        Bischofia javacina,                                              Austral-Asian Stercula sp.

Guettarda sp. ( Sea Gardenia / Velvet Seeds )                                                              Pinus roxburgii                                                          Quercus glauca      

Ficus auruculata                                                                                        Ficus rubiginosa, playtpoda, macrophylla                     Bombax ceiba /  *malabaricum*

Eucalyptus torquata  ..a few other unique sp.  observed at Boyce Thompson.                Acacia cultirformis, pravassima, and craspedocarpa.               Lysiphyllum sp.




                                                                                                                        Odds n' Ends

Pachira cubensis                                 Hebestigma cubense                           Coccoloba rugosa, and pubescens                        Colvillea racemosa                  Cassia afrofistula

Quercus suber                                      Cyrtocarpa, and Amphipterygium  sp.              Markhamia sp.                                         Cladrastis kentukea                Gymnocladus dioicus

Quercus macrocarpa                             Quercus stellata                                              Quercus muehlenbergii                             Pinus ponderosa                      Pinus jefferyi

Magnolia macrophylla, and M. m. ashei          Magnolia virginiana                               Nyssa sylvatica                                       Sassafrass albidum                   Chionanthus virginicus

What is it that you like about Bischofia Javanica?

[Silas_Sancona]

7 minutes ago, ego said:

What is it that you like about Bischofia Javanica?

Bigger leaves / dense-er shade the one growing behind the house in Bradenton provided..  Are apparently grown in California too.  Only plant a male specimen though since these can be somewhat aggressive seeders.

[Than]

1 minute ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Bigger leaves / dense-er shade the one growing behind the house in Bradenton provided..  Are apparently grown in California too.  Only plant a male specimen though since these can be somewhat aggressive seeders.

I've read it's a 9b tree and since it has "Javanica" in its name I am interested!

[Silas_Sancona]

37 minutes ago, ego said:

I've read it's a 9b tree and since it has "Javanica" in its name I am interested!

It's a neat tree.. though i won't purposely grow both male / female trees.

As you can see, one at the house in FL was kind of narrow compared to pictures of other specimens i've seen, but, as mentioned, it provided nice shade, and a tropical-esque look.







Would be something i'd plant in a group to provide shade for any ..more tender understory shade lovers.

[Silas_Sancona]

Another tree to research: Cape Chestnut, Calodendrum capense.. Spectacular when flowering, and pretty sure they retain their leaves.. Can get BIG.

Los Angeles Arboretum specimen, 5 / 2012.

[Than]

On 11/14/2023 at 9:57 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Another tree to research: Cape Chestnut, Calodendrum capense.. Spectacular when flowering, and pretty sure they retain their leaves.. Can get BIG.

Los Angeles Arboretum specimen, 5 / 2012.

Btw is Kigelia evergreen in California?

[Silas_Sancona]

16 minutes ago, ego said:

Btw is Kigelia evergreen in California?

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/plants/sausage-tree

[Than]

33 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/plants/sausage-tree

Semi-deciduous? What does that mean? 🥺

[Silas_Sancona]

10 minutes ago, ego said:

Semi-deciduous? What does that mean? 🥺

It's a pretty self - explanatory term..  

Plants that are Semi Deciduous / Semi Evergreen may loose a certain %' age of their foliage in response to differing weather or climate - related conditions.. IE:  Prolonged colder weather / prolonged Drought / extreme heat stress = drop more leaves ...but not all of them.  Warmer winter / wetter conditions = less )

It can also mean those kinds of  plants go through a cycle where they drop all older leaves just as new leaves / new growth is starting to emerge. Many Oaks do this.. 

Where it originates, Kigelia  may retain more of it's canopy, more or less, year to year,  compared to say in San Diego,  where it may loose more of....   ....but not all.... of it's canopy cover, esp. during cooler winters ..or if not provided enough irrigation during really hot weather / during prolonged drought conditions, compared to a majority of specimens in habitat.

[greysrigging]

On 11/15/2023 at 5:27 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Another tree to research: Cape Chestnut, Calodendrum capense.. Spectacular when flowering, and pretty sure they retain their leaves.. Can get BIG.

Los Angeles Arboretum specimen, 5 / 2012.

Cape Chestnuts... a beautriful flowering tree in the Sydney region of NSW... there is an avenue of them near my mothers place at Menangle, NSW ( ( 60 klm sw of Sydney ).
They wont grow in the true tropics/monsoonal climate of Northern Australia.
Nov - Jan is the flowering season in the Sydney region.
https://www.diggers.com.au/products/cape-chestnut-pink

Edited November 18, 2023 by greysrigging
spelling

[greysrigging]

if you could ever find one Stateside, this is the largest tropical tree native to the Northern Territory of Australia
https://www.territorynativeplants.com.au/allosyncarpia-ternata
The local City Councils in Darwin and Palmerston are starting to roll them out as a street tree.
https://www.territorynativeplants.com.au/allosyncarpia-ternata
My son has a couple of massive specimens on his rural block at Howard Springs.... likely the largest ones in cultivation in the Region.... probably planted 35 years ago.
 

[Than]

Wow Cape Chestnut looks splendid! 

I need a narrow canopy tree and not too big as the land plot is small. 30 feet would be OK but not more. 

[Than]

On 11/14/2023 at 9:57 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Another tree to research: Cape Chestnut, Calodendrum capense.. Spectacular when flowering, and pretty sure they retain their leaves.. Can get BIG.

Los Angeles Arboretum specimen, 5 / 2012.

Apparently in South Africa they are only evergreen on the coast and deciduous inland. Slow grower too. I'll give it a go though, such a stunner. Who knows, perhaps mine will decide to be evergreen.

Does anyone grow this in North California?

[Silas_Sancona]

5 hours ago, Than said:

Does anyone grow this in North California?

To my knowledge,  never encountered any,  though they'll survive.  That doesn't mean there aren't any growing -somewhere- out there however..  @JasonD Any thoughts / insight on cultivation of these up there?