Questions We Hear from Serious Buyers.

The Mast Tree (Monoon longifolium, formerly Polyalthia longifolia) is an evergreen tropical tree native to southern India and Sri Lanka. The common name comes from the British Royal Navy: the lightweight, straight, flexible trunks were harvested in colonial India for ship masts. Disputes over that timber contributed to the Mast Tree Riot of 1734 in Massachusetts. In a landscape, the name also fits the form: a mast-like column, commonly 30–45 feet tall.

They are the same tree. Monoon longifolium is the current accepted scientific name after a 2021 reclassification. Polyalthia longifolia variety pendula is the synonym still used in nursery catalogs and specifications. False Ashoka distinguishes it from the true Ashoka, Saraca indica. For a specification, use Monoon longifolium (syn. Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula).

It is closely associated, and botanically distinct. The true Ashoka (Saraca indica or Saraca asoca) is the tree of the Ramayana and of the Sanskrit name meaning without sorrow. The Mast Tree has the same columnar look and cascading leaves and has been planted at temples across South and Southeast Asia for centuries. Queen Maya is said in Buddhist texts to have given birth while holding a branch of a tree identified with this species. The cultural weight is real. The botanical identity should still be specified precisely.

In South and Central Florida, Mast Trees typically reach 30–45 feet tall and 4–8 feet wide. The narrow form holds as the tree matures. Growth is moderate. A young 25-gallon tree around 6–8 feet tall may add 2–4 feet a year in good conditions. Large field specimens cost more because they already contain those years.

Established trees do better in cold than young stock. The species is rated for USDA zones 10a–11, with warmer parts of 9b generally suitable once a tree is established. Established trees handle cold better than trees planted recently. Ask which size fits the site.

It makes the same columnar, formal, screening statement, and it is suited to a wet subtropical climate rather than a Mediterranean one. Italian Cypress in South Florida is prone to Seiridium canker, and spider mites can severely damage or kill it. The Mast Tree is not susceptible to those spider mites, does not bring that canker pattern, needs little maintenance, and grows in the heat and humidity the state actually has.

The flexible trunk gives it more wind tolerance than the narrow shape suggests. It is used as a windbreak in coastal South Florida and has a generally favorable record in tropical storms and Category 1–2 conditions. No tree is guaranteed in a direct Category 4 or 5 strike. Staking during establishment matters for young trees.

Individual specimens have been documented sequestering about 1.5–3 tons of CO2 a year. Research presented through the European Geosciences Union has described the species as a strong roadside tree because of low volatile emissions, drought tolerance that keeps the stomata working, and a high leaf area. It is also widely planted as a noise buffer along roads in India and Indonesia.

Mast Trees from small to large, in pots and in the ground, plus other landscape and fruit trees on the same 16 acres. This site does not publish a price list. The contact form, or personal cell 561-386-0924, gets height, caliper, and photographs of the trees that fit the project.

Price follows size, and size follows time. A 6–7 foot tree in a 25-gallon container is sold by various Florida contractors in a rough installed range of $1,500–$2,000. In-ground trees tend to be fuller than potted trees and cost more because of extraction and shipping preparation. Large specimens are priced above $15,000. There is no online price. Use the contact form or the personal cell, 561-386-0924.

Yes. Potted Mast Trees move in their containers. In-ground trees tend to be fuller, and they cost more because they are extracted and prepared for shipment. We deliver and install both, and we can include other South Florida landscape and fruit trees from the same 16 acres.

Yes, case by case, for a confirmed order. Specimen trees are reserved often. For a large count, three to six months of lead time is the comfortable window.

The work is mainly with developers, landscape architects, HOA managers, and contractors. A homeowner planning a serious installation with a licensed contractor can call. There is no walk-in retail lot and no online checkout.

South Florida (Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, Collier, Lee, and Monroe), Central Florida (Hillsborough, Sarasota, Orange, Osceola, Polk, and nearby counties), and the Caribbean basin. Other zone 10a and warmer sites can be discussed. Caribbean export needs USDA APHIS phytosanitary certification and usually another 2–4 weeks.

Not by parcel carrier. Flatbeds, box trucks, or low-boys, with a boom or crane for the largest trees. Around 3–4 inch caliper often needs a boom or skid steer. Around 6 inch caliper and above usually needs a crane. We deliver and install. A boom or crane for the largest trees is part of that installation, not a separate problem left at the curb. Trees are not hauled open at highway speed.

It depends on distance, count, and access. Nursery freight often falls around $450–$550 per truckload for Central Florida runs of 150–250 miles, and around $60–$260 closer in South Florida. Large specimens cost more to move than ordinary container plants. A firm delivery number is part of the project quote, not a fee on this website.

Yes. The climate suits the tree, and it is already used in Trinidad, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and other islands. Export needs a USDA APHIS phytosanitary certificate. The federal fee for a commercial certificate is $106 per shipment. The importing country's permit rules are the buyer's to confirm. Allow 2–4 weeks for certification.

Full sun to partial shade, and well-drained soil — sand, loam, or clay — at about pH 6.0–7.0. Drainage is the requirement that matters most. They fail in standing water. They are drought-tolerant once established. University of Florida IFAS guidance favors native field soil as backfill. Salt tolerance is moderate: coastal community interiors, not the beachfront spray line.

For trees over 4-inch caliper, UF/IFAS guidance is daily water for 6 weeks, every other day for 5 months, then weekly until established. Apply about 3 gallons per inch of caliper at each watering, slowly, to the root ball, not through a lawn sprinkler. A 5-inch tree is on the order of 15–20 months of structured irrigation. Mulch at 3 inches, kept 6 inches off the trunk. Do not fertilize a new transplant for 60–90 days.

Any guarantee in this trade is tied to irrigation and mulch. Trees that are watered on the right schedule survive at high rates. Trees that dry out in the first 60 days are at serious risk regardless of species. Warranty terms are discussed in the project conversation. They are not printed here as a standing policy.

At least 12 months. Broad flexible straps, never wire. Two or three stakes outside the root ball. A little movement is useful. Remove the stakes after 12 months. High-wind coastal sites may need a longer period, decided with the installing contractor.

About 3–4 inch caliper: a skid steer or small crane truck. About 4–6 inch: a boom or crane. Above about 6 inch: a crane. Large boxed trees can exceed 4,000 pounds with the root ball. Confirm gate width, overhead clearance, and the path to the hole before the delivery day.

USDA Forest Service research documents mature-tree effects on residential value in a range of about 7–19 percent. The National Arbor Day Foundation has described individual mature specimens at $10,000 or more in resale contribution, sometimes up to 15 percent of a home's value. A community entrance of 30-foot Mast Trees is also a marketing photograph for the life of the project. Those are research and design arguments, not a forecast for one pro forma.

Yes. They are a recognized Florida landscape tree, not listed as invasive, with a narrow crown and without the structural-root reputation of some large shade trees. For a board packet: mature height 30–45 ft, width 4–8 ft, moderate growth, light pruning every 1–3 years, high drought tolerance once established. Local ordinances still govern street trees and entrances, especially in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade. Verify the jurisdiction before you specify.

That decision sits with the landscape architect of record, the owner, and the plan reviewer. Functionally, the Mast Tree meets the usual cypress brief — columnar, evergreen, vertical, screening — and it performs in Florida humidity. Documentation for a substitution request is available. Many South Florida specifications have already moved to it as the primary columnar tree.

For trees already in stock and a site in the usual delivery area, a confirmed order often moves in 2–3 weeks, subject to trucks and site access. Matched sets and very large caliper take longer. For a fixed construction date, start 3–6 months ahead. Caribbean export adds 2–4 weeks for phytosanitary paperwork.

Yes. The useful moment is before the bid, so the specification names a size and form that actually exists: botanical name, caliper, height, container or balled-and-burlapped. Use the contact form, or the personal cell 561-386-0924, while the drawings are still open.