Central America Flowering Tree Guide

The frangipani tree grows in Central America.

Central America has a tropical climate with mountain ranges, coastal regions and valleys. A great diversity of plants exists in this area, and some have specially adapted features such as drought tolerance. In addition to the multitudes of plants and flowers present in this region, there are also quite a few different species of flowering trees.

Frangipani

The frangipani (Plumeria rubra) is a tree that can grow up to 20 feet in height. It is native to Central America, as well as Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia. This tree produces very fragrant flowers with five petals that come in various colors including red, pink, yellow and white. The frangipani needs full sun and soil that drains well, or the flowers will not fully develop. A white sap that comes out of broken branches can cause skin irritation.

Jacaranda

The jacaranda tree grows in Central and South America and is especially well suited for the climate in Guatemala. Almost 50 different species of jacaranda grow the tropical climates. It produces tube-shaped flowers that are a blue-purple color. The leaves look similar to ferns, and sometimes the wood is used for construction.

Powderpuff

There are two species of powderpuff, an evergreen flowering tree that is native to Central America and Mexico. The dwarf powderpuff (Calliandra emarginata) grows about 6 feet in height and has red flowers that are arranged in a puff-ball-shape at the end of the twig. The red powderpuff (Calliandra haematocophalla) is larger and grows to a height of about 15 feet. Its flowers are not as red as the dwarf powderpuff, and can even be pink in some trees.

Jerusalem Thorn

The Jerusalem thorn, or Mexican palo verde, tree will grow up to a height of about 25 feet and is a native, drought-resistant tree of Central America. It produces bright yellow flowers that look similar to orchids. In some trees, the crown will hang down. It will grow best in full sun. As the name implies, this tree has 1-inch-long spines or thorns that contain long, feathery-looking leaves between 10 and 15 inches in length.

Other Flowering Trees

Central America has numerous flowering trees including the calabash (Crescentia cujete), which is an evergreen that can reach 35 feet in height. It produces yellowish-green flowers shaped like cups with reddish-purple veining through them. The pink trumpet, or Tabebuia ipe tree, has clusters of brilliant pink flowers shaped like trumpets.

References

• Zone Ten:Trees
• Ganter Nursery:Flowering Trees
• Wheeling Jesuit University:Central America