Tim's Thailand

Thai Name – Gan-la-pa-pruek (กัลปพฤกษ์), Ga-la-pruek (กาลพฤกษ์)Scientific Name – Cassia bakerianaFamily Name – Fabaceae (Leguminosae)Other English Names – Wishing tree, Pink cassiaFlowering Season – February-AprilNative to Thailand – YesTypical Height – 6-12 meters Although the flowers are almost completely different, the pink shower tree is quite closely related to the golden shower tree and both are very showy with long lasting blooms. These open pink and fade to white. From… Read More

Thai Name – Da-cope farang (ตะขบฝรั่ง)Scientific Name – Muntingia calaburaFamily Name – MuntingiaceaeOther English Names – Strawberry tree, jam tree, Singapore cherryFlowering Season – Year-round, but less in the cool seasonNative to Thailand – NoTypical Height – 5-12 meters One of the most understated flowering trees in Thailand, you could easily walk past a flowering calabura and not notice the small (1.5-2cm) solitary white flowers. They have five wide petals… Read More

Thai Name – Bpra-duu (ประดู่)      Scientific Name – Pterocarpus macrocarpus      Family Name – Fabaceae (Leguminosae)      Flowering Season – March-April      Native to Thailand – Yes      Typical Height – 15-30 meters       The Burma padauk goes from completely green to full of small (about 1.5 centimeters wide) yellow flowers overnight; and reverts back to all green again after only a few days in bloom. The flowers turn into distinctive disc-shaped seeds, which give the tree its scientific name. The genus Pterocarpus… Read More

Thai Name – Lueang Breedeeyatawn (เหลืองปรีดียาธร)Scientific Name – Tabebuia aurea (some organizations use Tabebuia caraiba or Tabebuia argentea)Family Name – BignoniaceaeOther English Names – Caribbean trumpet treeFlowering Season – February-AprilNative to Thailand – NoTypical Height – 3-8 meters When a silver trumpet tree is in full bloom the yellow flowers can entirely cover the tree’s crown. From a distance it can look like a golden shower tree, but those flowers… Read More

Thai Name – Man daeng (หมันแดง) Scientific Name – Cordia sebestena Family Name – Boraginaceae Other English Names – Scarlet Cordia Flowering Season – Year-round, but most abundant March-May Native to Thailand – No Typical Height – 6-9 metersGeiger trees have vivid orange five-centimeter-wide flowers that grow in clusters at the ends of branches. From a distance these clusters look like giant orange balls and give the trees a polka… Read More

Thai Name – Pip (ปีบ), Gasalawng (กาสะลอง)      Scientific Name – Millingtonia hortensis       Family Name – Bignoniaceae      Other English Names – Tree jasmine      Flowering Season – September-May      Native to Thailand – Yes      Typical Height – 10-20 meters       The Indian cork tree is a tall, typically rather narrow tree with distinctive long (5-10cm) white fragrant flowers that bloom straight out and then later hang down. At a quick glance the flowers appear to have four petals, but it’s… Read More

Thai Name – Intanin Nam (อินทนิลน้ำ)Scientific Name – Lagerstroemia speciosaFamily Name – LythraceaeOther English Names – Crepe Myrtle, Rose of IndiaFlowering Season – March-MayNative to Thailand –YesTypical Height – 10-20 meters A very common street-side ornamental tree in Thailand, the Pride of India is unmistakable when it’s flowering. It has long (up to 40cm) pointy flower clusters ranging purple to pink; in Thailand they’re frequently a pale lavender. The distinctive cluster shape makes… Read More