Goodland in Bloom

The quaint fishing village/artist enclave of Goodland is at its most beautiful when the royal poinciana trees and plumeria, or frangipani, are in full bloom. Lucky for you that time is right now!

A meandering drive, bicycle ride, or walk around Goodland reveals beauty at every turn. The royal poinciana tree is native to Madagascar and grows in frost-free regions. Also known as the flamboyant tree, it can grow to 40’ tall. Goodland has several towering royal poinciana trees, though a few of them have perished in recent years after hurricane flooding. The royal poinciana blooms from late spring to summer. They have four spoon-shaped red or orange petals and one larger petal streaked with yellow and white. They tend to grow an umbrella-shaped canopy that can stretch as wide as 60-70 feet.

The royal poinciana drops seed pods, up to two feet long, in the spring. When we were photographing the Little Bar’s royal poinciana tree, the manager’s young son was running around shaking seed pods to hear their rattle.

Many of the yards and vacant lots on Goodland have plumeria growing. There are over 300 species of plumeria, commonly known as frangipani. You can enjoy a number of those species on a tour through Goodland.

Plumeria are commonly used in Hawaiian leis and are considered by many as the world’s most beloved garden plant.