Miami’s Flowering Trees of June

I realize that posting photos of Miami has nothing to do with the Blue Ridge Mountains, but when I spent this week in South Florida, and marveled at the beauty of these magnificent trees, I couldn’t resist sharing them with you. Every June, the tree canopy is ablaze with the vibrant reds and oranges of the Royal Poinciana tree, also referred to as a “Flamboyant”, for obvious reasons. The tree is a native of India and Southeast Asia, but the Spanish knew a good thing when they found it, and brought the plant to Hispanola and Cuba early in their voyages.

There are two species of this tree. One has red and white blossoms, and the other has orange and white flowers. Often you’ll find them growing side by side, as in the photos above and below. Make sure you click on the smaller photos, and move through the images at your own pace.

The orange version is rare compared to the red trees.

Blooming at the same time as the Poinciana is the showy Golden Showers tree (Cassia Fistula). It is native to India, The Amazon, and especially Sri Lanka, but has spread around the world because of its amazing hanging blossoms.

The Queen’s Crepe Myrtle, or Giant Crepe Myrtle, is another native of India. It also blooms concurrently with the Poinciana and the Golden Showers trees.

These common Crepe Myrtle have found the perfect neighbor in the yellow Allamanda bush, above.

This Mussaenda shrub, above, flowers from spring until late summer.

This clusters of pink flowers is a common orchid that grows all around South Florida. These trees and shrubs are but a small number of the overall flowering trees of Miami and South Florida, that can be enjoyed by driving through the many old neighborhoods of this relatively new city. These specific varieties were found in “The Roads” section of Miami, just a mile south of the downtown skyscrapers.

• June 11, 2014
• Golden Showers Tree, Miami, Royal Poinciana Tree
• 4 Comments