Boca Raton Mast Trees – Wholesale
If you need tall, slender, columnar-shaped trees in your Boca Raton landscape, Palmco has wholesale Mast Trees for sale that will make a spectacular sub-tropical substitute for the Italian Cypress, which prefers the cooler temperatures of Zone 9b and northward.
What is a Mast Tree?
Botanically, the Mast Tree is named Polyalthia longifolia “Pendula.” “Poly” means “many,” “longifolia” means “long-leafed,” and “pendula” means “pendulous” or “dangling.” In other words, the Mast Tree has many dangling long-leafed branches.
The branches are actually covered in layers of feathery, wavy-edged leaves that droop downward and closely hug the trunk of the tree from top to bottom, making this columnar-shaped ornamental tree appear to have no branches.
The natural color contrast of the Mast Tree’s dense leaves creates a spectacular show. They start out a coppery brown color, turn a light lime green as they age, and eventually become a shiny dark green. They remain on the tree in all seasons, almost completely covering the trunk.
In spring, the tree is covered with inconspicuous but fragrant star-like pale green flowers that typically last for two to three weeks. The tree then bears clusters of fruit that are initially green but ripen to purple or black. It is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.
A native of India and Sri Lanka, the Mast Tree is also known as False Ashoka, Buddha Tree, Indian Mast Tree, and Indian Fir Tree. It was popular in British India because it resembled the Mediterranean Cypress and because its tall, stick-straight trunk was ideal for building ship masts (thus the name).
Mast Trees are best suited to USDA Zones 10a to 11 and the warmer areas of Zone 9b. They are not recommended for use north of coastal Hillsborough County on Florida’s west coast or Indian River County on the east coast.
How to Landscape with Mast Trees
The Mast Tree will add evergreen beauty to formal gardens, driveways and avenues, expansive parks and golf courses, and a wide range of other areas. They grow symmetrically to 30 to 45 feet and provide an excellent vertical accent for privacy screening, shade, or as a windbreak.
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