Uncommon Flowering Trees for the Southwest

Look to these lesser-known varieties for fabulous color year-round

It ’s not hard to set your southwestern garden ablaze with flowering shrubs and conversant trees . In the veracious zones , jacaranda(Jacarandaspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–11 ) , crepe myrtle ( Lagerstroemiaindicaand cvs . , Zones 6–9 ) , blue palo verde ( Parkinsonia florida , Zones 8–11 ) , desert willow tree ( Chilopsis linearis , Zones 9–11 ) , and even crabapples ( Malusspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–9 ) are loose to get along by , provide authentic people of color in their preferred season . But if you ’re the kind of nurseryman who likes to campaign the envelope or just examine something dissimilar , here are a handful of rare flowering trees to attempt out that you ’re not likely to see in a distinctive landscape .

Floss silk tree

( Ceiba speciosasyn . Chorisia speciosa )

Zones:9–11 ( hardy to 20 ° F for brief period once established )

Size:30 to 40 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet all-inclusive

Conditions : Full Sunday ; average , well - drained soil

Native range : South America

Mexican bauhinia

( Bauhinia ramosissima )

Zones:9–11

Size:10 to 20 foot tall and wide

precondition : Full sun ; intermediate to jolty , well - drained grime

Native range : Mexico

A less common relative of the well - have sex orchid Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , this smaller species hails from Mexico ’s seasonally dry tropics . Its vase - shaped ramify habit gives it a short , open grain , utter with the typical split evergreen plant leaf of the genus . The pink butterfly stroke - shape flowers look in mid - leap over a flow of several weeks , realise it a decent comrade to its modest relative , B. lunaroideswith its crystalline lily-white flower . Drought tolerant once established and easy to insert into a small garden , this species is also stout enough to grow a bit beyond the zonal range of the larger , more tropicalBauhiniavarieties .

Coral gum

( Eucalyptus torquata )

Zones:8–10

Size : To 30 feet tall with a eminent crown to 25 fundament wide

Conditions : Full sunlight ; adaptable to a kitchen stove of soil types

Native range of mountains : Western Australia

It ’s leftover that most of the very common eucalyptus of the past were also among the least suited for the home garden . The coral gingiva come without any of the fear and trepidation you may be customary to . mild proportions , unassailable branches , and an abundance of peak will have you entrance . The upright habit gradually take shape a rounded , well - balance crown . Coral chewing gum is also tolerant of pitiable soil and droughty condition . Long - lasting and abundant blossoms can appear in waves almost any time of year , in tad of deep rose pink to Salmon River and red coral . As a incentive , these are a hook for hummingbird and other pollinators .

Pink trumpet tree

( Handroanthus heptaphyllus )

Size:20 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 20 animal foot wide

condition : Full Sunday ; well - drained stain

This striking cousin of the better - known desert willow tree is not arise in the Southwest intimately as often as it could be . A South American native , this species grows in seasonally juiceless semitropical and tropical forest . Sturdy branches and a rounded , well - proportioned crown make this a endearing street and garden tree . Compound palmate leaves hold up even in desert heat with mundane watering . In tardy winter the tree goes briefly deciduous , more so in parky winter areas . This bare flow is brief and is quickly follow by the show of clump of pink trumpet flowers for several weeks when most other plants are still awaiting spring . This little to average - size of it tree diagram is often misname in the deal asHandroanthus impeteginosus , but that Mexican tree ( distinguished by its smooth leaf margins rather than toothed ) is much big and seldom constitute in culture . Although pinkish trumpet tree diagram is broad of seasonal dry period , it does benefit from periodic deep watering during the hottest weather . This is truly a great plant for create an “ oasis ” burden in the desert .

Texas mountain laurel

( Dermatophyllum secundiflorumsyn . Sophora secundiflora )

Zones:7–11

Size:10 to 20 metrical unit grandiloquent and 8 to 12 feet wide

Conditions : Full sun to partial shade ; average soil

aboriginal range of a function : Central Texas Mae West to New Mexico and southward to Mexico

This small tree needs no introduction to most folks in the Southwest . Shiny evergreen plant foliage , hardy branching , and a slow increment charge per unit are all timbre that make this plant ideal for a belittled garden or terrace . What many people do n’t realize is that the expression of its flowers can diverge a lot , from pale lavender to mysterious purple , and from stubby compact flower clusters to long pendulous bunch that hang in the breeze like wisteria prime . Buy yours while they are in flower ( March - April ) to select the trait that you like most . All specimens share the sweet smell of grapevine soda that waft about on warm spring days . Texas spate laurel has low water needs , preferring an periodic deep soaking . Although it is often used for heavy viewing , it can become a nicely sculpted small Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with long time .

Floss silk tree

Blue hesper palm

( Brahea armata )

Zones:8–11

Size:40 feet marvelous and 10 metrical foot wide

Mexican bauhinia

Conditions : Full sun ; well - drain , alkaline ground

Adding a palm Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to a list of flowering trees may seem a chip improper , but the photo do n’t consist . Despite its Baja extraction , this fan palm is among the hardy tree on this inclination , surviving brief temps as low as 10 ° F . In the tree diagram ’s young class , its leaves are striking pulverization blue fans that slowly passage to blue - green as the tree gains tiptop . This does not happen quickly , and a 10 may pass before any signboard of a automobile trunk is seeable , but they are striking at any stage . Even more grounds to embed one now ! A spectacular oasis plant , it can be keep up by contoured water catchments . As blue hesper palm enters maturity date , the flowers are among the most dramatic of all flower plants , as pendulous chains of thick creamy flowers can drape as retentive as 15 feet from the refined jacket of leave of absence . It is a buffet for pollinators and a spectacle for the neighborhood .

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Eucalyptus torquata

Dan Johnson lives and gardens in Denver and in Tucson , Arizona . He is an associate director of horticulture for the Denver Botanic Gardens .

picture : Dan Johnson

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