Overview

Introduce a touch of tropical elegance to your garden with the white hummingbird tree live plant. This exquisite specimen, botanically known as Sesbania grandiflora ‘Alba’, is renowned for its striking, pure white, pea-like flowers that resemble tiny hummingbirds in flight. Originally from Southeast Asia, this fast-growing ornamental shrub is a favorite among gardeners looking to create a vibrant, pollinator-friendly sanctuary. The white hummingbird tree live plant thrives in warm climates, offering a spectacular display of blooms that can transform any outdoor space into a captivating haven for local wildlife, especially hummingbirds and butterflies.

Known by various common names such as Vegetable Hummingbird, Butterfly Tree, or Agati, this plant is not only visually appealing but also holds cultural significance in some regions. Our one-gallon potted plant is ready to be transplanted into your garden, providing a head start on its impressive growth. This live plant offers an immediate impact and promises years of enjoyment as it matures into a magnificent flowering shrub.

Key Benefits

The white hummingbird tree live plant brings a multitude of benefits to your garden, enhancing both its aesthetic appeal and ecological value. Its unique characteristics make it a standout choice for various landscapes.

• Attracts Pollinators: The distinctive white flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies, bringing your garden to life with their graceful presence. This makes the white hummingbird tree live plant an excellent choice for creating a wildlife-friendly environment.
• Fast Growth Rate: Enjoy a quickly maturing plant that establishes itself well and provides significant visual impact in a relatively short period, often reaching impressive sizes within a few seasons.
• Unique Floral Display: The elegant, pure white, pea-like blooms are unlike those of many other garden plants, offering a unique visual texture and focal point in your landscape design.
• Tropical Aesthetic: Instantly infuse your garden with a lush, exotic, and tropical feel, perfect for creating a serene and inviting atmosphere.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, the white hummingbird tree live plant is relatively easy to care for, requiring minimal attention beyond basic watering and occasional feeding, making hummingbird tree care manageable for most gardeners.
• Versatile Landscaping: Can be grown as a standalone specimen, part of a mixed border, or even in large containers in climates where it needs to be protected in winter.
• Edible Flowers and Pods: In some cultures, the young leaves, flowers, and tender pods of the Sesbania grandiflora are used in culinary dishes, offering an additional, practical benefit.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper hummingbird tree care is essential for ensuring your white hummingbird tree live plant flourishes and provides a bountiful display of flowers. This tropical flowering shrub thrives in warm, sunny conditions and well-drained soil. For optimal growth, choose a location in your garden that receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. While it can tolerate some partial shade, full sun will encourage the most prolific blooming. Ensure the planting site has good air circulation to prevent fungal issues.

When it comes to watering, the white hummingbird tree live plant prefers consistently moist soil, especially during its active growing season. However, it is crucial to avoid waterlogging, as this can lead to root rot. Allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out before watering again. During dry spells, more frequent watering may be necessary. The ideal soil for this plant is rich, fertile, and well-draining, with a slightly acidic to neutral pH. Amending heavy clay soils with organic matter like compost can significantly improve drainage and nutrient content. Fertilize your sesbania grandiflora plant every 4-6 weeks during the spring and summer with a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer or a liquid feed diluted to half strength. Reduce fertilization in fall and winter when growth slows.

The tropical flowering shrub is best suited for USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11, where it can be grown as a perennial. In colder climates, it can be grown as an annual or overwintered indoors in a bright, protected spot. Protect young plants from strong winds. Pruning can be done to maintain shape, encourage bushier growth, and remove any dead or damaged branches. Light pruning after a flush of blooms can often encourage a second round. Keep an eye out for common pests like aphids or spider mites, and treat with organic insecticidal soap if necessary. Proper hummingbird tree care will ensure a healthy and vibrant plant for years.

Size & Details

This offering is for one white hummingbird tree live plant, shipped in a one-gallon nursery pot. The plant will typically arrive at a height of 12-24 inches, ready for immediate transplanting into your garden or a larger container. The white butterfly flower tree is known for its rapid growth, often reaching heights of 10-20 feet in ideal conditions, though it can be maintained at a smaller size with regular pruning. Its spread can be comparable, creating a dense, attractive shrub or small tree. Expect to see its first blooms within 1-2 years of planting, with peak flowering occurring during the warmer months.

The mature plant will develop an open, airy canopy, providing light shade and a beautiful backdrop for its unique flowers. The leaves are pinnately compound, adding to its delicate appearance. This tropical flowering shrub is a long-lived addition to the landscape, providing seasonal beauty and ecological benefits. It is shipped with care to ensure it arrives healthy and ready to thrive in its new home.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does a white hummingbird tree get? A: The white hummingbird tree live plant can grow quite large, typically reaching heights of 10 to 20 feet and a similar spread in optimal conditions. Its size can be managed with regular pruning to fit smaller garden spaces or kept as a more compact tropical flowering shrub.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The white hummingbird tree live plant is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in full sun and warm climates (USDA Zones 9-11). In colder regions, it can be grown in containers and brought indoors during winter, or treated as an annual.
• Q: What are the sunlight requirements for a hummingbird tree? A: For best results and abundant blooms, the white hummingbird tree live plant requires a location with full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. It can tolerate partial shade, but flowering may be reduced.
• Q: Is the white hummingbird tree easy to care for? A: Yes, once established, the white hummingbird tree live plant is relatively low maintenance. It requires consistent watering but is otherwise quite hardy, making hummingbird tree care straightforward for most gardeners.
• Q: What condition will my plant arrive in? A: Your white hummingbird tree live plant will arrive as a healthy, actively growing plant in a one-gallon nursery pot, carefully packaged to ensure its safety during transit. It will be ready for immediate planting or repotting.
• Q: When is the best time to plant a white hummingbird tree? A: The best time to plant your white hummingbird tree live plant is in spring or early summer after the last frost, allowing it ample time to establish itself before the heat of summer or the arrival of cooler temperatures.
• Q: Can the flowers of the white hummingbird tree be eaten? A: Yes, the flowers of the sesbania grandiflora plant are edible and are used in various culinary applications, particularly in Southeast Asian cuisine, often stir-fried or added to soups and salads.
• Q: What kind of soil does the white hummingbird tree prefer? A: This tropical flowering shrub thrives in rich, well-draining soil. It prefers a slightly acidic to neutral pH. Amend heavy soils with organic matter to improve drainage and fertility.
• Q: Will this plant attract hummingbirds to my garden? A: Absolutely! The unique shape and nectar-rich blooms of the white hummingbird tree live plant are highly attractive to hummingbirds, making it an excellent choice for a pollinator garden.
• Q: What is the USDA hardiness zone for this plant? A: The white hummingbird tree live plant is best suited for USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11 for perennial outdoor growth. In colder zones, it can be grown as an annual or overwintered indoors.