My Radermachera elmerii, is starting to shade the patio and eventually the air conditioning unit which should provide energy savings of up to 20% yearly. I love saving money on energy bills and this little tree should do it by next year. The tree is growing faster than I expected which is fine with me. I was thrilled with the 3-4 feet added to the overall height this growing season.

Nixon Smiley, author and garden columnist for the Miami Herald in the 1940’s loved this tree.  He reported it coming through unscathed after the 1945 hurricane that hit Miami with 145 mph winds. He liked the small size of the tree which is mature in the 20-25 foot range. He praised the beauty and neatness of the foliage which does not seem to drop at all. Flower drop is a problem with all blooming trees so they should be only used over lawn areas.

My experience with the tree has all been positive except for its tendency to produce sucker growth along the trunk and branches. This is easy to control by rubbing the tiny suckers off the trunk/branches before they get started.  This seems to be a characteristic of the Radermachera genus as my Radermachera ‘Kunming’, Dwarf Tree Jasmine does the same thing.

Blooms on Radermachera elmerii are pink, trumpet shaped, with a yellow throat. The flowers average 2 inches wide and carried on spikes above the leaves. I have not detected any fragrance from the blooms but have not tried at night when many plants become fragrant. The tree flowers over much of the year but takes a break during the coldest part of the year. This tree is a real beauty and deserves a good common name.