trees that flower in pots

[necturus]

What tropical trees can be grown and flower well in pots? Lets exclude the obvious like plumeria and brugmansia. I've read that Dais cotinifolia will. What else? I'm looking for things that can be grown on a patio or sunk in the ground and moved to provide further protection in the winter, so the ability to bloom at a small size is critical. Ideally a somewhat quick grower so we get blooms sooner rather than later. Thoughts?

[Loxahatchee Adam]

The following come to mind as good performers, quick from seed, and will bloom small.  These can all bloom out of a 3 gal pot.  7 gal would be better of course.  If you're going to keep them in a pot for a long time, you may want to consider an air root pruning pot, or chemically treating it to root prune.   I've had all the following bloom either in a 3 gal pot or at a nearly equivalent size in the ground.  

Pseudobombax ellipticum, Fernandoa magnifica, Tabebuia impetiginosa, Tabebuia heterophylla, Jacaranda jasminoides, Pachira glabra, Eucalyptus deglupta, Cochlospermum vitifolium, Lonchocarpus violaceus.

If you add grafted trees as a possibility, you greatly expand your options.

[_Keith]

Maybe some of the Erythina

[Silas_Sancona]

14 minutes ago, _Keith said:

Maybe some of the Erythina

Yep, 
..got several species, in pots:

E. ancanthocarpa
E. coralloides
E. crista -gali
E. flabelliformis
E.humeana
E. humeana raja
E. X skysii
E.lysestemmon
E. sandwicensis
E. velutina

.. Lost X bidwillii last summer to rot.
Keep the big ones ( coralloides, and X syksii) cut back and they just get fatter, even in a 20" box.

Tracking down 3-6 more species to try, contained.
 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Loxahatchee Adam said:

The following come to mind as good performers, quick from seed, and will bloom small.  These can all bloom out of a 3 gal pot.  7 gal would be better of course.  If you're going to keep them in a pot for a long time, you may want to consider an air root pruning pot, or chemically treating it to root prune.   I've had all the following bloom either in a 3 gal pot or at a nearly equivalent size in the ground.  

Pseudobombax ellipticum, Fernandoa magnifica, Tabebuia impetiginosa, Tabebuia heterophylla, Jacaranda jasminoides, Pachira glabra, Eucalyptus deglupta, Cochlospermum vitifolium, Lonchocarpus violaceus.

If you add grafted trees as a possibility, you greatly expand your options.

Great choices, i'll add Cordia boissieri, parviflora, any number of the smaller Acacias that will tolerate summer humidity, Mimosa dysocarpa, all of the Guaiacums ( G. coulteri, angustifolium, sanctum*, and officinale* *cold sensitive and harder to find) Texas mtn laurel, ..many more.

[_Keith]

29 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Yep, 
..got several species, in pots:

E. ancanthocarpa
E. coralloides
E. crista -gali
E. flabelliformis
E.humeana
E. humeana raja
E. X skysii
E.lysestemmon
E. sandwicensis
E. velutina

.. Lost X bidwillii last summer to rot.
Keep the big ones ( coralloides, and X syksii) cut back and they just get fatter, even in a 20" box.

Tracking down 3-6 more species to try, contained.
 

Be happy to send you some  Erythrina herbacea,  Mine seed every year now.  It has an interesting history as a medical plant here, known as Mamou Plant.

http://www.myneworleans.com/Acadiana-Profile/August-September-2012/In-English-If-you-Please/

 

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, _Keith said:

Be happy to send you some  Erythrina herbacea,  Mine seed every year now.  It has an interesting history a a medical plant here, known as Mamou Plant.

http://www.myneworleans.com/Acadiana-Profile/August-September-2012/In-English-If-you-Please/

 

Thanks Keith.. This was one thing i didn't pick up one before the move.. will pm you when i have an address to send seed to.

[necturus]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep them coming! I'd love to get my hands on a Guaiacum coulteri, but I've never found one available through mail order or nurseries down here. I'm definitely leaning towards a Tabebuia sp. and maybe a Cordia. Eventually I want to put a T. impetiginosa and C. boisseri in the ground.

[Silas_Sancona]

24 minutes ago, necturus said:

24 minutes ago, necturus said:

Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep them coming! I'd love to get my hands on a Guaiacum coulteri, but I've never found one available through mail order or nurseries down here. I'm definitely leaning towards a Tabebuia sp. and maybe a Cordia. Eventually I want to put a T. impetiginosa and C. boisseri in the ground.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep them coming! I'd love to get my hands on a Guaiacum coulteri, but I've never found one available through mail order or nurseries down here. I'm definitely leaning towards a Tabebuia sp. and maybe a Cordia. Eventually I want to put a T. impetiginosa and C. boisseri in the ground.

Daniel,

If you're interested, i should have seed from G. coulteri a little later on this Spring/ Summer. Don't mind sending you seed to try. Will note that seed looses its viability fairly quickly after harvest. Of the Lignum Vitae i have, this species seems to be the most adaptable and, despite originating in a fairly dry climate, did just fine in Florida. It also does just fine here in Phoenix, though they aren't commonly encountered, yet... While considered slow growing, my largest specimen has been in it's pot for roughly 4 years now and just gets nicer as it grows.

Tabebuia can be great in pots also. raised a couple seedlings i kept in pots until i planted them in the ground. Tabebuia (or Handroanthus, Genus name was changed on some of the Tabebuias) impetiginosa should do fine in the ground there in Houston. Thinking only the worst winter cold you might have would damage this species.  Planted two as street trees at a former residence back in San Jose Ca a couple years ago.

Found this one growing in Tempe yesterday:





Adam's suggestion of Pseudobombax ellipticum would also be another great one to try. Easy and flower small. Will need to up size the pot according to growth. Also, look into Delonix Pumila..Hard to find but a really cool tree that can be kept in a large pot.

-Nathan

 

[Monòver]

I think a good option will be Brunfelsia pauciflora. It is a small tree- bush with flowers changing from white to dark blue.

With different look, i have in my garden one Pachypodium lamerei in pot. In summer it has nice white flowers.

This is my Pachypodium last summer.

 

[DoomsDave]

Here's a Tabubeuia growing in a pot in Torn Pants CA