Orange Flowering Florida Trees

Flame of the forest shows where it gets its name.

The state of Florida has more species of trees that any other state within the continental United States. Out of the nearly 625 native trees of North America, nearly 275 grow in Florida. Florida trees differ in their foliage, nature of fruits and types of flowers. The orange flowering trees in the state include flame of the forest, Jamaican rain tree, orange champaca tree, Geiger tree and pomegranate.

Jamaican Rain Tree

The Jamaican rain tree (Brya ebenus) is a spiny tree with an erupting growth habit and the branches grow as if ejected by force. The branches then cascade downward as they get heavier and longer. The tree reaches a mature height of about 30 feet but can be kept under 15 feet with pruning. Jamaican rain tree blooms with creamy orange to yellow organ flowers in cascading cluster in times of high humidity. The tree is a native of the West Indies.

Orange Champaca Tree

The Orange champaca tree (Michelia champaca) is also referred to as the magnolia champaca. The tree is a native of the lower Himalayas, China and India. The orange champaca is an evergreen tree that reaches a mature height of 20 to 25 feet. The tree has very fragrant yellow-orange flowers and bears fruits in clusters. The leaves are 6 to 8 inches long and very glossy. The tree booms during the summer and grows best in a well-drained, moist soil. The scent of the orange champaca tree flowers is the major ingredient of the perfume Joy.

Flame of the Forest

Flame of the forest (Butea frondosa) is also known as parrot tree, dhak and bastard teak. The tree is a native of India and grows 20 to 40 feet high. The trunk of the tree is twisted and crooked and the branches are irregular with rough, gray bark. The entire crown of the tree is covered with orange flowers from January to March. The flowers are scentless and appear at the ends of the stalks. Each flower is five-petaled and each petal is covered with very fine, silky hair. The buds of the tree have the fine downy growth as well. The tree is very slow-growing and takes up to five decades to reach full maturity.

References

• "The Trees of Florida;" Gil Nelson; 1994
• University of Florida: 680 Tree Fact Sheets
• Plantcreations.com: Native Plants

Resources

• "Tropical Flowering Plants;" Kirsten Albrecht Llamas; 2003
• Top Tropicals: Butea Frondosa---Flame of the Forest