The only orchid tree you will ever need

Often plants are listed as invasive due to their ability to drop their seeds (and subsequent seedlings) all over the place.  What if there was a variety or cultivar of a particular plant that was sterile and had no seeds to cause a weedy infestation?  Such is the case of the Hong Kong orchid tree – a beautiful flowering tree with gorgeous orchid-like blossoms, but no seeds!  What is the Hong Kong orchid tree all about?

Originally found in China, every Hong Kong orchid tree is an identical clone via  air-layering or grafting.  Vegetative reproduction was the only method to multiply this tree as no seeds are ever produced.  Growing up to thirty-five feet tall and twenty-five feet wide, the Bauhinia x blakeana has large, up to six-inch, lavender-pink flowers.    In fact, the Hong Kong orchid tree is in flower for over one-hundred days a year – on or about October to March.   The two-lobed leaves are very notable and unlike any other foliage you may have seen before.

Honk Kong orchid trees are usable as a lawn specimen tree, a medium-sized shade tree, or one planted in conjunction with a patio or deck. They are relatively fast growing and thus have moderately weak wood.  Somewhat awkward and open as a young tree, proper pruning and training will help develop more wind-tolerant branches.   This Bauhinia can be semi-deciduous to completely deciduous for a very short time and a bit messy in consideration to the old blossoms and leaves. 

Our relatively alkaline soils may cause some nutrient deficiencies to develop in the leaves – especially potassium and iron.  As such, some supplemental fertilizer may be needed to keep the foliage in good color.  The Hong Kong orchid tree is moderately salt-tolerant and is noted to be very drought tolerant once established. 

While the Hong Kong orchid tree is the recommended Bauhinia, there is one type to avoid -  the orchid tree or mountain-ebony.  Known as Bauhinia variegata, this one is considered a Category I invasive as listed by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council.  It does not bloom as long as the Hong Kong orchid tree and produces many seed pods capable of making lots of invasive orchid trees. 

The Hong Kong orchid tree will be the only orchid tree you will ever need!  For more information on all types of woody ornamental flowering plants, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Gilman, E. F. & Watson, D. G. ( 2014) Bauhinia  blakeana: Hong Kong Orchid Tree.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Brown, S. H. (2015) Bauhinia x blakeana.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Lee County.

Caldwell, D. (2013) Hong Kong Orchid Trees Are Long Flowering for Snow Birds.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Collier County.

Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council.  http://fleppc.org/ .

Broschat,  T. K. (2014) Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms of Woody Ornamental Plants in South Florida.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Jaboticaba – funny name, tasty fruit

One of the weirdest and most interesting small fruit trees we have in our Demonstration garden is the jaboticaba.   Hailing from southern Brazil, the jaboticaba is a smallish, slow-growing, shrub-like tree with unique, grape-like fruit.  Our tree produced fruit for the first time this year and it was delicious! 

Jaboticaba or Brazilian grape tree is an evergreen tree growing no more that fifteen feet tall in our area.  Arriving in Florida in about 1928, jaboticaba started to appear in home landscapes in the 1940’s.  Still fairly rare in our area, it is hardy from zones 9b to 11.    The literature mentions that brief events of twenty-six degrees F.  have not damaged

Jaboticaba – good news for our area.    Plant this tree in a full sun to light shade site.   Jaboticaba  is well adapted to a wide range of soils as long as irrigation is available.   Use jaboticaba as a large shrub, a small tree, a hedge or even as a large container plant.   This tree is not tolerant of salt, so watch your water quality and keep it protected from salt spray. 

It will take several years for your jaboticaba to begin to bear fruit.  A five to six foot jaboticaba may be eleven years old.  Support the slow growth with supplemental irrigation as needed after establishment.  Established trees are tolerant of temporary flooding.  Fertilize no more than three times per year or as per label directions with a slow-release fertilizer suitable for citrus or tropical fruit.  When jaboticaba reach fruiting age, small white puffy flowers will develop and cover the branches and parts of the lower trunk in late winter and spring.  This is followed by large green berries which grow and ripen into one to one and one-half inch dark purple fruit which look just like Muscadine grapes.  Inside the tough skin is a white pulp with several seeds.  The fruit is very much like a Muscadine grape both in texture and taste.  Eat them fresh as they do not keep well for long once harvested.  The gelatinous pulp is a thick and juicy.  Accordingly, I understand why the name jaboticaba supposedly means “like turtle fat” in the native language. 

I am not sure what cultivar of jaboticaba we have in our Demo garden.  There are at least nine varieties available with different characteristics – fruit size and color, taste, leaf size, etc.  As far as availability, check local family-run garden centers and regional tropical fruit tree venders.  There are also a number of Internet mail-order sources available where small specimens can be secured.  They can be started from seed which will germinate in about one month.  Then, prepare to wait at least eight years for that seedling to begin to produce fruit.  Cuttings and air-layering are also propagation methods.  Grafted trees may quicken the pace a bit with fruit in as early as six years.  The fruit is worth waiting for as I found out with our first crop and my first taste of this rare oddball. 

If you have the patience, consider growing a jaboticaba – a tasty treat from Brazil!  For more information on all types of tropical and subtropical fruits suitable to grow in our area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Brown, S.H. (2015) Myrciaria cauliflora.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFA.

Morton, J. (1987) Jaboticabas. Fruits of Warm Climates.  Purdue University.