Red Flower Royal Poinciana Tree (Delonix regia)

Today I would like to introduce my favorite tree into my yard. My favorite tree is the Red Flowered Royal Poinciana Tree (Delonix regia). This Magnificent Tree is also known as the Flamboyant Tree, Flame Tree, Peacock Flower and Gulmohar. This Tree grows rather fast up to heights of 20'to 30'feet tall and should be spaced 12' to 15' feet apart. The Royal Poinciana Tree grows best in full sun exposure with regular watering until the tree is established.Once the Tree is established it prefers somewhat of a drought during the winter months. I have heard that they will not bloom in pots. When I see these beautiful Trees I am reminded of Japanese Bonsai Trees. They look the same only they are much bigger. Here are some pictures of my Flame Tree.

This is a picture of the seed pod.

Here is the batch of beautiful looking sprouts.

Nice close up.

And here is the planted Peacock Flower Tree at about 10" tall.

I hope you enjoyed this post. See you again next time!

Papaya Tree (Carica papaya)

I am willing to bet that everyone has heard of a Papaya Tree (Carica papaya) or Mamao before. If not, Papaya can grow anywhere from 20' to 30' tall and blooms all year long with very fragrant white flowers. Papaya should be planted 8' to 10' apart to allow room to grow. The fruit should be picked a few days early. I just planted mine in the ground back in March. It was about 4' tall and did not look so healthy. I planted it and started fertilizing and watering it regularly. My Papaya Tree is exploding now. Here are some pictures of my Papaya Tree (Carica papaya).

This is my Papaya Tree as of 3-23-2009.

This picture was taken 4-13-2009.

This is a close up of the bottom side of the leaf. Look closely and you can see a pesky caterpillar.

This is a close up of the top of the leaves.

I hope you enjoyed this post. See you again next time!

My Music Player

To listen to some great Gardening Tunes just click the Play button on the music player.

*Note* To enjoy the tunes without interruption, right click the title of this post and open link in new tab. For Internet Explorer right click the title of this post and open in new window.

Ruffled Fan Palm Tree( Licuala grandis )

This weekend I planted a new addition to my shade area. My new addition is a Ruffled Fan Palm (Licuala grandis) or otherwise known as a Vanuatu Fan Palm or a Palas Palm. The Ruffled Fan Palm gets this name from the fronds appearance looking like a ruffled potato chip. This Palm Tree grows best in the shade and grows to heights of 6' to 12' tall and should be spaced 4' to 8' apart. The Vanuatu Fan Palm grows really well in USDA zones 10a, 10b, and 11. As you can see from my pictures this little guy is about 2' tall right now.This will be an exciting Palm Tree to watch grow. Here are my pictures of my new Ruffled Fan Palm Tree (Licuala grandis).

I hope you enjoyed the pics. See you again next time!!

Variegated Blood Banana Tree ' Rojo ' ( Musa sumatrana )

I have had this Banana Tree for a long time now. I never took any pictures because I was not sure it was going to make it. This poor little guy has seen many hard times, my dog trampling it, me stepping on it, and the lawn mower even had something to do with it. Now I am sure it is a survivor so here it is.

This is my Variegated Blood Banana Tree ' Rojo ' ( Musa sumatrana ) also known as Red Banana Tree. I love the coloring in the leaves of this Banana Tree. The variegation is red, it reminds me of a red camouflage. The fruit is not edible though but that is a small price to pay for the feel that this tree gives to the garden. The Variegated Blood Banana Tree 'Rojo' grows to heights of 8' to10' and should be spaced 6' to 8' apart when planting multiples. The Blood 'Rojo' likes to be planted in full sun and needs regular watering.

Here are some pictures of my Variegated Blood Banana Tree 'Rojo' (Musa sumatrana).

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. See you again next time!