Flowering trees are an awesome way to add value to your garden, They create habitat, provide shade, help screen unwanted views or even help reduce noise pollution. There are some things to consider to avoid future issues when selecting trees for your garden, such as Brisbane’s sub-tropical climate, falling leaves, dropping branches, size and maintenance.
To avoid these problems in the future it’s best to get advice on the right trees that will suit your specific needs. If you would like advice please check out my Landscape design services.
Here are my top recommendations for flowering trees suitable to grow in Brisbane.
Tabebuia impetiginosa
This stunning South American tree produces a mass display of pink flowers. The flowers have a tubular, bell-like shape similar to a trumpet. Tabebuias flower in spring and can often be found along Brisbane streets. Due to its size, the Tabebuia Palmeri is best suited to larger areas as a feature tree but can be kept to a maintainable size with regular pruning in our climate. The Roots are non-invasive and they make an ideal specimen tree. At recent Tabebuias have had a name change and are now called Handroanthus but are still commonly referred to as Tabebuia.
| Family: | Bignoniaceae |
| Scientific Name: | Tabebuia impetiginosa (Handroanthus impetiginosa) |
| Cultivar: | palmeri |
| Common Name: | Pink Trumpet Tree |
| Plant Type: | large tree |
| Height: | 8 – 10 meters |
| Width: | 6 – 8 metres |
| Flower Colour: | Pink |
| Flowering Time: | Spring |
Tabebuia argentea
Handroanthus argentea is a relative of the tree above however displaying yellow instead of pink flowers. This tree is a small and very beautiful semi-deciduous tree. It grows around 3 to 6 metres tall, forming an open crown of slender branches.
| Family: | Bignoniaceae |
| Scientific Name: | Tabebuia argentea (Handroanthus argentea) |
| Cultivar: | |
| Common Name: | Yellow Trumpet Tree |
| Plant Type: | medium tree |
| Height: | 3 – 6 meters |
| Width: | 2 – 5 metres |
| Flower Colour: | Yellow |
| Flowering Time: | Spring |
Elaeocarpus reticulatus ‘prima donna’
Elaeocarpus reticulatus ‘prima donna’ more commonly known as Blueberry ash is a wonderful small rainforest tree and is great as a screening plant in warmer areas. It has a narrow habit and grows to 9 metres tall and 3 metres wide. If required this tree responds well to pruning. It has masses of delicately fringed small pink flowers in spring, which look like fairy petticoats and have a faint perfume. The flowers later turn into blue coloured berries which are attractive to seed-eating birds. A very adaptable, fast-growing and hardy plant that will suit most gardens.
| Family: | Elaeocarpaceae |
| Scientific Name: | Elaeocarpus reticulatus |
| Cultivar: | Prima Donna |
| Common Name: | Blueberry Ash |
| Plant Type: | Small tree |
| Height: | 8 – 10 metres |
| Width: | 3 – 4 metres |
| Flower Colour: | Pink |
| Flowering Time: | Spring |
Buckinghamia celsissima
Buckinghamia celsissima is a native North Queensland rainforest tree but makes an excellent flowering tree in Brisbane, growing into a spectacular flowering medium to large shrub or small tree in cooler climates. It flowers in autumn, with the long creamy flowerheads often completely hiding the dark green glossy foliage and attracting masses of bees. It makes a wonderful feature plant and should be trimmed back behind the spent flowers. Suitable to plant along footpaths.
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Scientific Name: | Buckinghamia celsissima |
| Common Name: | Ivory Curl Tree |
| Plant Type: | Small tree, Large tree |
| Height: | 8 – 25 metres |
| Width: | 1 – 4 metre |
| Flower Colour: | White, Cream |
| Flowering Time: | Summer |
LAGERSTROEMIA INDICA X FAURIEI ACOMA
LAGERSTROEMIA INDICA or Crepe myrtle is grown for its wonderful display of white frilly flowers covering the end of each stem. This hybrid makes a good choice in small gardens and containers as it does not grow too big. Crepe myrtle flowers all summer long and is easy to grow. In autumn the dark green leaves turn reddish-purple adding a splash of colour to the garden. Crepe myrtle comes in many colours such as pinks and reds but what makes this a stunning plant is stunning patterns of the bark.
| Family: | LYTHRACEAE |
| Scientific Name: | LAGERSTROEMIA INDICA |
| Common Name: | Crepe myrtle acoma White Crepe myrtle |
| Cultivar: | Acoma |
| Plant Type: | Shrub, Small tree |
| Height: | 2 – 3 metres |
| Width: | 2 – 3 metre |
| Flower Colour: | White |
| Flowering Time: | summer |