Trees available at Zone Ten

This is a photo album selection of some of the trees available at Zone Ten Nursery along with background and cultural information. There are a lot of color photos on this page and it will take a couple of minutes to load completely, but you should be able to read the text while you wait for all the pictures to develop. For a complete listing of available species, see the Plant Availability pages. This page was last updated on October 20, 2007.

Acacia choriophylla - Tamarindillo (native)

Acacia farnesiana - Sweet Acacia

A small native flowering tree to 12 feet with very fragrant, yellow puff-ball blooms winter and spring. The flowers are used to make perfume. Full sun; high salt and drought tolerance. Zones 10-11

Bauhinia purpurata - Purple Orchid Tree

Lovely small deciduous tree to 30 feet from the Asian tropics.  Fragrant deep purple  orchid-like flowers up to 6 inches across.  Blooms in late summer through fall. Zones 9b-11.

Bauhinia rufescens

Bauhinia sp.- Pink Bauhinia

Beaucarnea recurvata (syn. Nolina recurvata)

Thee "Pony Tail Palm" is not a palm at all. It is a member of the Agave family and is native to Mexico. It is truly one of the most striking additions imaginable to your landscape collection. It usually does not exceed 15 feet in South Florida soils. Likes full to partial sun, average amounts of water and a well-drained soil. The base of the trunk becomes massively swollen as it grows, giving the plant an exotic appearance. The flowers are highly unusual as well.

Bombax ceiba - Red Silk Cotton Tree

A profusion of  very showy, waxy flowers (ranging from magenta to orange color) appear on the trees in wintertime when the tree is deciduous. Not for smaller yards, it reaches 60 feet with a medium growth rate.  It has medium drought and low salt tolerance.  Zones 10-11

Bombax glabra - French Peanut

This member of the Bombacaceae family is often confused in the literature with the Malabar Chestnut (Pachira aquatica) but it is a distinct species which differs in many ways from that tree.

This tree has a distinctively swollen trunk base - even when young. The flowers are smaller than in the chestnut and are pure white with no red on the stamens. They are also very fragrant with a sort of vanilla aroma. A medium height specimen tree with attractive foliage. Fruits are much smaller than in P. aqautica, and elongated rather than round. The allegedly edible seeds are only about 1 inch long. Grow in full sun for best flower production.

Brachychiton acerifolius - Illiwana Flame Tree

Spectacular fast growing tree from east Australia grows to 40 feet.  It is deciduous in the winter time and brilliant red flowers appear in spring and summer. The base of the tree swells to a bottle shape when older.  Unusual leaf shape. It has high drought tolerance/ medium salt tolerance.  Zones 9-12

Bulnesia arborea - Verawood

This graceful, yellow/orange-flowering tree is native to Colombia and Venezuela. Foliage and flowers are both highly prized as is the timber. Beautiful specimen tree to about 40 feet.  Zygophyllaceae family. Drought tolerant once established.

Caesalpinia pulcherrima / Pride of Barbados

Calliandra emarginata / Dwarf Powderpuff

Calliandra haematocephalla / Red Powderpuff

Cananga odorata - Ylang Ylang, Perfume Tree

This is a collector's favorite from Southeast Asia. A member of the Annonaceae family, this tree is related to the sugar apple and soursop and grows to about 40 or 50 feet in South Florida. It makes an outstanding specimen tree and is rather uncommon. It is grown primarily for the intensely fragrant flowers which are produced along the branches on and off throughout the year. The flowers, which are especially fragrant evening through morning, are actually used to manufacture perfume. Zones 10-11. Full sun. Resistant to pests and diseases.

Cassia surattensis - Glaucous Cassia; Scrambled Egg Tree

A medium size (to 15 feet), fast growing flowering tree from Polynesia in the Caesalpiniaceae family . This is one of the few cassias which like to grow in a tree form. It makes a nice dooryard or entrance gate specimen and works well in a median, as shown here. Blooms in cycles year-round. Full sun. Drought tolerant once established. Called Kolomona in the South Pacific.

Cassia leptophylla - Gold Medallion

A profusion of golden yellow flowers appear in summer. A semi-deciduous tree to medium height (20-25 feet) originates from Brazil.  Attracts butterflies. Zones 9-10

Castanospermum australe - Black Bean; Morton Bay Chestnut

From tropical and subtropical Australia, a tree prized for its wood as much as its spring flowers. Grown primarily as a specimen or street tree in Queensland and New Caledonia. Also called Australian Chestnut though the seeds are reported to be toxic unless roasted, like the Cashew. Zones 9-11. Widely grown in Europe as in indoor plant. Research is being carried out on the seed as a possible AIDS or cancer cure.

Chorisia x hybridum - Pink Floss Silk Tree x Kapok

Few sites equal that of a Chorisia in full bloom. They sometimes start during late summer, but fall is their time of glory. The strange, spiny trunk makes the tree look all that much more unusual. Fast-growing, with highly variable, lily-like flowers in various combinations of white, pink - often with purple to red striations on the petals. A large (45 feet), fast-growing tree for zones 10 and 11. Bombacaceae family. Drought tolerant. We believe that the trees we currently have are a natural hybrid cross between Chorisa speciosa and Ceiba Pentandra, the Kapok tree. They are still too young to bloom, but look like the silk floss and bear spines like that species.

Clerodendrum minahasse - Fairchild's Clerodendrum

Showy clusters of 4 inch white, tubular flowers appear spring-fall. Calyx opens deep red with a single blue seed.  A small shrubby semi-deciduous tree from Malaysia; medium growth rate to 10 feet. Full sun to light shade. Low salt/drought tolerance. Prefers partial shade. Zones 10-11

Clusia rosea - Autograph Tree

This 30’ tree is native to the Flroida Keys, the Caribbean and Central America. The very attractive, shiny leaves can be written on, thus the common name. Summer bloomer with white or pink flowers. Salt tolerant. Fruits are said to be toxic and not suited for a yard with children. Zones 10-11.

Cocoloba uvifera - Sea Grape

Crescentia cujete - Calabash

Evergreen tree to 35 feet with medium growth rate which has unusual branching and produces gourd shaped fruits. From Mexico through Guatemala. Medium salt/ high drought tolerance. Zones 10-11

Delonix regia - Royal Poinciana

Diospyros digyna - Chocolate persimmon

A true persimmon from Central America, the fruit tastes like carob.  Allow fruit to get soft-ripe before eating.  Good for desserts and smoothies. May bloom all year round.  Fast growing evergreen  to 35 feet; good shade tree. Low salt/ medium drought tolerance.  Zones 10-11 

A dark red-leaved cultivar of the Asian rubber tree grows rapidly to 50 feet. High drought tolerance. Zones 10 & 11. This is where car tires used to come from. It makes an unusual foliage color textural break from the typical tropical foliage planted these days.

Filicium decipiens - Japanese Fern tree

Gliricidia sepium - Madre de Cacao

Fast growing deciduous tree to 25 feet has clusters of pea-like pink and white flowers up and down the branches before the leaves appear in spring.  Used to shade coffee and cacao in its native tropical America, hence the common name.  High drought tolerance and moderate salt tolerance. Zones 10-11

A small, evergreen, elegant year-round flowering tree to 15 ft., native to south Florida and the Caribbean. Showy flowers are blue and the yellow seed pods open to reveal a bright red seed birds love. Slow-growing and highly salt and drought-tolerant. Full sun. Zones 10 & 11.