For those who like trees in their immediate environment, but whose backyards are too small to accommodate a spreading saman because it would uproot the house, ehow has one or two suggestions. The first is what we know as the dwarf Poinciana or flamboyant, and they call the ‘peacock flower.’ The second is the bottlebrush.
“Peacock flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is a small tropical evergreen tree. The tree blooms with showy, 2 to 3-inch, bowl shaped five-petalled flowers in orange and red on 8 to 10-inch terminal clusters. In its native habitat, the tree blooms for a fair part of the year. The peacock flower is a native tree of the West Indies and tropical America, and grows best in well-drained, acidic to alkaline soil. The tree has a rapid growth rate and prefers areas of sun to partial shade.”
Bottlebrush
“The bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis) is tropical tree native to Australia and blooms with scarlet flowers resembling bottle-cleaning brushes. The tree grows to a mature height of about 20 feet with a wide, round crown. The new foliage is bronze green and gradually turns a
dull green colour. Weeping bottlebrush grows best in areas of full sun and is tolerant of dry or wet ground. Established trees are tolerant of short periods of drought.”
