In the tropics, planted out in a garden it would be about five years, in a pot in the UK....I guess you will one day tell us............chris

Hello Chris, Thank you for your reply. I don't know whether mine will flower at all but it's good to try and one never knows. I would really love to be able to say that it was in flower as they are quite beautiful.
Hazel.

They will flower in pots, at least in Florida and similar climates/greenhouses. I have seen trees 3-4 feet bloom, with trunks about 2" across. The trees grow very fast in tropical/subtropical climates. What size bonsia are you going for? I am not sure if a small bonsai would ever bloom. The flowers are huge and the typical sized bonsai tree would have a hard time getting enough energy to produce the blooms.

David

Hello David, Thanks for your reply. Here are pictures of my two plants. I have a ceramic bowl under the bosai potof the largest plant to catch the water as I learned these trees can grow in swamps and will keep their leaves if kept moist. As you can see both have kept nearly all of their leaves with a minimal amount of dry edges on some. I'm running out of space although they will go outside when weather gets warmer. I'm encouraged to know they can bloom so small but I'm concerned that that is not exactly bonsai size.Thanks Hazel.

Wow, they sure look nice! You seem to be doing a great job with them. The larger one does need to get some diameter on its trunk before it blooms. Since the trees are very fast growing in warm weather, i would put it in a larger pot this summer and let it get some size on it. They respond well to fertilizer too.

Hello Popper1, I'm between the devil and the sea because I'm unable to pot on very much due to lack of space when bringing my tropicals indoors as we don't heat any of the greenhouses in winter. I am already housing 40+ plumerias,a giant strelitzia and around 25 orchids in the house and my husband is not too pleased about it! I will use my bonsai fetilizer on the spathodeas. Thank you for your info.
Regards Hazel.

Crikey Hazel, is there any room left for Jim's fishing equipment?? lol!! The plants certainly look healthy. Lets hope we get some modicum of a summer this year and then all our plants can go outside...and get bigger still... hehe! In our living room at the moment I have 5 orchids, 2 trays of plumie seedlings, 4 bigger plumies, a stephanotis, a 5ft Date palm, 4 2ft Washingtonia palms, the Desert Rose propagator (all 5 are doing fantastic in there (it's just on overnight)and have hardened up and put on new growth), a clivia, oh yes, and the 6 ft Dracaena. The g/h is full and other plants are scattered around the rest of the house, as one does!
We have horizontal rain and sleet a the moment. Bring on the warmer weather...please!
cheers, Gill.

Hello Gill, Are we mad????
I'm dreading the repeated trek to the greenhouses to put all the plants back from the house! My tuberous begonias are all starting up on the undersoil heating but none of the tropicals would find it warm enough. Beware it's going to -3 on Saturday night (Don't forget to put your clocks forward this weekend)
Hazel.

I think we must be!! As if we haven't got enough garden to tend, we have just been and bought loads of plants for the Village Garden, so all will need to be planted to get established for the first round of the BKV judging. Not today mind you as it's 7C here with a biting wind & showers. Yes -3 tonight, think I'm going to suggest we emigrate soon...then the trops won't be a problem any more! Thanks for the BST reminder!
Gill.