Springtime in Bintulu

Close by to the Masjid Assyakiriin where I performed the congregational Friday prayers today, was this splendid flowering of the Tabebuiea alba above ( alba to mean white) and Tabebuiea rosea ( meaning, rose) below.

These trees are located at the Medan Jaya open space area and appears that they are flowering late this year.
Previosly this tree was called ' tecoma' short of Tecoma pentaphylla. But now it is accepted among horticulturalist to designate the new name as Tabebuiea rosea or alba, depending on the colour of the flowers. While in Japan, residents take a break or holiday to picnic and be merry under flowering cherry blossoms, people in Bintulu don't seem to notice its 'springtime'. This is a medium tree and is used extensively in Bintulu's  landscaping of highways, parks, open spaces and residential roads. Best propagated using seeds. They withstand rough handling during transplanting. Tabeuiea trees are grown mainly for its large, bunchy and showy flowers. In the above pictures the flowers develop while the leaves are still on the tree. However occassionally you can find the tree becoming deciduous with flowers even when the branches are bare.