Myrtles, Melastomes & Allies - Myrtales
Native / Non-native
Bushwillow Family - Combretaceae
Rangoon Creeper - Combretum indicum Lumnitzera - Lumnitzera racemosa Indian Almond - Terminalia catappa Lythrum Family - Lythraceae Colombian Waxweed - Cuphea carthaginensis False Heather - Cuphea hyssopifolia Common Crape Myrtle - Lagerstroemia indica Queen Crape Myrtle - Lagerstroemia speciosa Pomegranate - Punica granatum Apple Mangrove - Sonneratia caseolaris Shrubby Woodfordia - Woodfordia fruticosa |
Melastome Family - Melastomaceae
South China Barthea - Barthea barthei Peperomia-Leaved Fordiophyton - Fordiophyton peperomifolium Rose Grape - Medinilla magnifica Common Melastoma - Melastoma candidum Twelve-Stamened Melastoma - Melastoma dodecandrum Blood-Red Melastoma - Melastoma sanguineum Osbeckia - Osbeckia chinensis Princess Flower - Pleroma semidecandra |
Myrtle Family - Myrtaceae
Dwarf Mountain Pine - Baeckea frutescens River Red Gum - Eucalyptus camaldunensis Cadaga - Eucalyptus torelliana Brisbane Box - Lophostemon confertus Paper Bark - Melaleuca cajeputi Tall Bottle-Brush - Melaleuca viminalis Rose Myrtle - Rhodomyrtus tomentosa Guava - Psidium guajava Box-Leaved Syzygium - Syzygium buxifolium Jambolan Plum - Syzygium cumini Rose Apple - Syzygium jambos Java Apple - Syzygium samarangense Golden Penda - Xanthostemon chrysanthus Evening Primrose Family - Onagraceae Water Dragon - Ludwigia adscendens Grass Dragon - Ludwigia hyssopifolia Primrose Willow - Ludwigia octovalvis |
Bushwillow Family - Combretaceae
Rangoon Creeper 使君子 Combretum indicum
Lumnitzera 欖李 Lumnitzera racemosa
A mangrove species, also known as 'white-flowered black mangrove'.
Indian Almond 欖仁樹 Terminalia catappa
Semi-deciduous almond tree. Planted in parks and gardens, and as a shade tree on the beaches in Hong Kong. The leaves go red and drop off in the winter but are replaced straight away.
Lythrum Family - Lythraceae
Colombian Waxweed 黏毛萼距花 Cuphea carthaginensis
False Heather 細葉萼距花 Cuphea hyssopifolia
Common Crape Myrtle 紫薇 Lagerstroemia indica
A small tree with long thin branches featuring showy pink flowers. Commonly grown ornamentally, it is also native to Hong Kong.
Queen Crape Myrtle 大花紫薇 Lagerstroemia speciosa
Also known as the Pride of India this is an ornamental tree native to South Asia. It blossoms in the summer, from May to September.
Pomegranate 安石榴 Punica granatum
Apple Mangrove 海桑 Sonneratia caseolaris
Shrubby Woodfordia 蝦仔花 Woodfordia fruticosa
Melastome Family - Melastomataceae
South China Barthea 棱果花 Barthea barthei
Part of the melastoma family this plant is native to Hong Kong but difficult to find. The flowers have four white petals with pink-tinged edges.
Peperomia-Leaved Fordiophyton 無距花 Fordiophyton peperomifolium
Rose Grape 酸腳桿屬 Medinilla magnifica
An ornamental native to the Philippines.
Common Melastoma 野牡丹 Melastoma candidum
The key difference between the common melastoma and the blood-red melastoma is not the flower (which appears over the summer months) but the leaf colour and shape. The common melastoma has short, plain green leaves. The common Melastoma (Melastoma candidum) is sometimes treated as a synonym of the Malabar melastome (Melastoma malabathricum), however, the difference is that M. candidum is a more robust plant, and has five leaf veins, instead of a more slender three leaf veins on M. malabathricum, the latter doesn't seem to occur in Hong Kong.
Twelve-Stamened Melastoma 地菍 Melastoma dodecandrum
The flowers of this creeping variety of melastoma are similar to those produced by the much larger melastomas that grow as shrubs but noticeably smaller. This plant grows at ground level.
Blood-Red Melastoma 毛菍 Melastoma sanguineum
The blood-red melastoma has a similar flower to the common melastoma and also flowers during the hot, summer months. The leaves are long and have a red colour to the stems and undersides. There are red hairs on the stems.
Chinese Osbeckia 金錦香 Osbeckia chinensis
A small, four-petalled member of the Melastomataceae family. It grows in grassland in upland areas, especially in the central and northern New Territories, flowering in late summer and autumn.
Princess Flower 巴西野牡丹 Pleroma semidecandra
This showy, purple flower grows on a medium-sized bush and is native to Brazil. It's a common plant in parks and gardens. Not found in the wild.
Myrtle Family - Myrtaceae
Dwarf Mountain Pine 崗松 Baeckea frutescens
Common low lying woody shrub. Commonly found in areas above the tree line. Small white flowers appear in the summer months. The needles, when crushed release a not unpleasant aroma of bath soap and fragrant spices. It ranges from southern China to northern Australia, often growing in coastal regions. In Hong Kong it seems to prefer to grow at a certain altitude. The flowers and leaves can be made into a refreshing herbal tea.
River Red Gum 赤桉 Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Endemic to Australia it has been introduced into Hong Kong as part of the 20th century re-afforestation schemes.
Cadaga 毛葉桉 Eucalyptus torelliana
This is a eucalyptus tree native to Australia, recognisable by its smooth, silvery bark.
Brisbane Box 紅膠木 Lophostemon confertus
A tree used extensively in the re-afforestation schemes for Hong Kong in the 20th century, it is originally from Australia. It is very common in some of the country parks, especially Tai Lam.
Paper Bark 白千層 Melaleuca cajeputi
An introduced species from Australia, this tree with its papery trunks is now widespread, both in the city and in country parks around Hong Kong.
Tall Bottle-Brush 串錢柳 Melaleuca viminalis
Like many introduced trees in Hong Kong this is a native of Australia. It's also called the weeping bottlebrush due to its drooping branches. The cylindrical brush-like flowers resemble a traditional bottle brush.
Guava 番石榴 Psidium guajava
Rose Myrtle 桃金娘 Rhodomyrtus tomentosa
The rose myrtle is a shrub growing to 1.5 metres in height, with bright pink flowers in May. The fruit is dark red and succulent.
Box-Leaved Syzygium 赤楠 Syzygium buxifolium
Jambolan Plum 烏墨 Syzygium cumini
A tree native to South China, producing small dark red fruits.
Rose Apple 蒲桃 Syzygium jambos
Java Apple 洋蒲桃 Syzygium samarangense
Golden Penda 金蒲桃 Xanthostemon chrysanthus
Endemic to Queensland, Australia, it seems to be a new addition to the range of ornamental trees planted in Hong Kong.
Evening Primrose Family - Onagraceae
Water Dragon 水龍 Ludwigia adscendens
Grass Dragon 草龍 Ludwigia hyssopifolia
Small-flowered, creeping version of the primrose willow (below), tends to prefer drier ground.
Primrose Willow 毛草龍 Ludwigia octovalvis
Found in wet areas such as marshland or at the edge of ponds. Tall and branching.