Royal Poinciana (Delonix Regia)

[Bilbo]

Parque Majuelo (Almunecar) in Southern Spain has a large specimen and I also spotted several in the DR and collected some pods like giant beans which is not surprising bearing in mind the family.

Im certain (but we were speeding by) that I also spotted a yellow one.

Regardez

Juan

[Xenon]

Delonix regia seems to be the 4th most common tree(non-palm) in the Brownsville-South Padre area of Deep South Texas, just behind Live Oak, Ficus benjamina, and Mesquite.

Here's one with some faded blooms, taken in August 2010...

and another

Jonathan

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Jonathon,

She does not look like a faded bloom to me. Oh! You meant the flowers on the tree! Never mind.

You sure did resurrect an old thread.

[Brian Bruning]

Does anyone in have a tree to sell, 2 to 15 gallon size? I'm near Palm Springs. BBruning@hotmail.com

[RedRabbit]

How far north do these grow in Florida? I know Orlando and inland Tampa have them. Any in Daytona or St. Augustine?

Edited June 7, 2017 by RedRabbit

[Bill H2DB]

   I'm aware of a very few in the Daytona area .   They are really cold sensitive . This string of warm Winters has allowed

fair re-growth , but long term , not so good ..

   A few more Jacarandas here and there , and they take more cold than Delonix , but freeze back to the ground in cold winters also .

One thing to consider here , is that these both can be fairly large plants . When the inevitable freeze comes , one is confronted with cutting

down a large pile of wood , and disposing of it .  

   Ear Tree is similar in that respect , as are others .

[RedRabbit]

15 hours ago, Bill H2DB said:

   I'm aware of a very few in the Daytona area .   They are really cold sensitive . This string of warm Winters has allowed

fair re-growth , but long term , not so good ..

   A few more Jacarandas here and there , and they take more cold than Delonix , but freeze back to the ground in cold winters also .

One thing to consider here , is that these both can be fairly large plants . When the inevitable freeze comes , one is confronted with cutting

down a large pile of wood , and disposing of it .  

   Ear Tree is similar in that respect , as are others .

Thanks Bill! I think my area is roughly the same as yours with climate and we have pretty many delonix around here. Most are relatively small, but a few have been able to get huge over the past 25yrs. It seems like there should be more than a few up there, maybe they're just not widely available for purchase?

Funny you mention ear trees, those have managed to naturalize in this area.  

 

[greysrigging]

In Darwin the 'Flame Tree' is a common street, park and backyard planting. In fact they have the potential to be 'weedy' and have naturalised in some areas of Darwin. Our flowering season commences in October and peaks in November/December before the onset of the Monsoonal 'Wet'. Jacarandas don't do real well in our climate and most gardeners don't bother trying them. Having said that there are a few specimans in town but they do not put on the spectacular display that you can see in Brisbane or Sydney. Flying into Darwin is a sight to behold in November when all the Delonix are in full bloom

[Tropicgardener]

The local Poinciana Trees (As we commonly call Delonix regia) here stood up well in our recent very severe cyclone. Many lost limbs but I don't think I saw one totally destroyed. Lots of reds and oranges in my area but also a lot of yellow ones too......... Like greysrigging mentioned we don't have a lot of success with Jacarandas here either even though we are in the cooler tropics......... There are a few Jacarandas (or where a few until the cyclone took them out) around but they rarely flower.

[greysrigging]

17 hours ago, Tropicgardener said:

The local Poinciana Trees (As we commonly call Delonix regia) here stood up well in our recent very severe cyclone. Many lost limbs but I don't think I saw one totally destroyed. Lots of reds and oranges in my area but also a lot of yellow ones too......... Like greysrigging mentioned we don't have a lot of success with Jacarandas here either even though we are in the cooler tropics......... There are a few Jacarandas (or where a few until the cyclone took them out) around but they rarely flower.

I wonder how far north along the Queensland coast ( or inland/west ) the Jacaranda is a successful flowering plant. And how far south the Poinciana can be cultivated. I know Brisbane can grow both species, its a shame the flowerings don't quiet coincide with each other.....there is a bit of overlap which is stunning !

Jacarandas struggle to flower in our climate and remarkably there are sometimes two flushes of flowers.....in Nov/Dec at the beginning of the 'Wet' and again at the end of the rains in April/May. Some Poincianas remain in flower around town into Feb/March but this is an exception rather than the usual.

As an aside, the seed pods make excellent BBQ fuel and they burn with a hot, not too smokey flame.

[Pip]

I planted a Delonix regia last year in my garden but last years prolonged cool wet weather did that young tree in. I have another smaller plant in pot that has endured, it will be interesting how it does this winter. So far winter has been totally opposite from last year,  as it hasn't really rained for most of June (Adelaide's traditional wettest month). I think Delonix regia has potential here in Adelaide for someone with alot of patience. I don't live in the warmest area of Adelaide either being on the rural fringe well away from the heat island of the more developed suburbs. 

[kinzyjr]

I'm in agreement with the posters that state these are a good 9b/10a borderline tree.

@RedRabbit I remember you asking me if we had any in Lakeland.  I knew I had seen a few, but wanted to wait until I had a confirmed location to give you.  @palmsOrl had asked if I liked them when he brought a 7 ft. Veitchia down (big thanks by the way).

Delonix regia - Hallam Dr. and Hallamview

It's currently in bloom and setting seed:

[Johnk9]

Delonix regia Gold

[bubba]

Kinsey,

Thank you for mining deep (2006) to find old thread! Enjoyed the Delonix regia summary from out West and the Florida information. Great to see blooming up in Lakeland area and Johnk9 over on the Gulf!

[RedRabbit]

23 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

I'm in agreement with the posters that state these are a good 9b/10a borderline tree.

@RedRabbit I remember you asking me if we had any in Lakeland.  I knew I had seen a few, but wanted to wait until I had a confirmed location to give you.  @palmsOrl had asked if I liked them when he brought a 7 ft. Veitchia down (big thanks by the way).

Delonix regia - Hallam Dr. and Hallamview

It's currently in bloom and setting seed:

Nice, thanks for sharing! That one doesn't appear to have any kind of special microclimate going on so perhaps they're a better candidate for Central Florida than I thought. 

Edited May 14, 2020 by RedRabbit

[Xenon]

Good year for royal poinciana in S. Texas

[kinzyjr]

The Golden variety seems to be popular around Legoland/Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven:

Looking Up at the top

Closeup of leaves

In Flower 2017

In Flower 2016

[RedRabbit]

51 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

The Golden variety seems to be popular around Legoland/Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven:

Looking Up at the top

Closeup of leaves

In Flower 2017

In Flower 2016

I think these might be Peltophorum dubium. I may be wrong, but the multi-trunks sure don’t look like Delonix.

Edited May 24, 2020 by RedRabbit

[Silas_Sancona]

31 minutes ago, RedRabbit said:

I think these might be Peltophorum dubium. I may be wrong, but the multi-trunks sure don’t look like Delonix.

Good catch..

Yes, definitely Peltophorum, Hard to tell which one in the pictures,  but agree  P. dubium would be the best candidate based on the location.

[Xenon]

Slightly better quality S TX pics, color is just unreal! 

[Greg D]

Hi, quick question on these.  I am growing about 10 of these from seeds and plan to give away a bunch to my neighbors since I live in a horse property neighborhood with acre to two acre lots.  I just noticed that there are small thorn looking things growing and googled it and it says they have thorns which I never noticed before when I was doing all of my research.  For folks that have these, how bad are the thorns?  The reason I ask is that I have a few volunteer mesquites that are beautiful and getting large but I HATE cutting them because they have two inch thorns that make it like fighting with a tiger.  I almost lost an eye one time when looking up when cutting and have ended up with large gashes on my legs and arms.  I am not looking to get into another one of those situations..  Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Greg

[Greg D]

Hi, quick question on these.  I am growing about 10 of these from seeds and plan to give away a bunch to my neighbors since I live in a horse property neighborhood with acre to two acre lots.  I just noticed that there are small thorn looking things growing and googled it and it says they have thorns which I never noticed before when I was doing all of my research.  For folks that have these, how bad are the thorns?  The reason I ask is that I have a few volunteer mesquites that are beautiful and getting large but I HATE cutting them because they have two inch thorns that make it like fighting with a tiger.  I almost lost an eye one time when looking up when cutting and have ended up with large gashes on my legs and arms.  I am not looking to get into another one of those situations..  Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Greg

[Clem]

I can share a true story of the cold hardiness of Delonix seeds.  We had vacationed on Captiva Island, FL one August several years ago, and there was a large Delonix tree that dominated a courtyard at the resort.  There were seed pods on the ground everywhere you looked, so I picked up a couple and took them back to New Jersey with me.  I have worked in the tropical plant and interiorscape industry here for over 40 years, and I always like to bring home souvenir plants and seeds from our trips to the tropics.

I potted up a dozen or so seeds in individual 4" pots, put them in a shuttle tray and parked them outdoors in the shade of an azalea for the remainder of the summer.  It stayed warm well into October that year, but when none of the seeds had germinated, I forgot about them and left the tray of potted seeds outside for the winter.  It got very cold that winter, down to 10 degrees F a couple of times, and we had a good amount of snow several times.  The tray was buried under snow that I shoveled off our front steps and walk because of where it sat, and then one day in the spring I spotted some green sprouts in the shade of that azalea.  Sure enough, six or seven of the seeds had germinated and were growing into nice little seedlings.  I couldn't believe it, given all the cold weather that winter, but there they were.

long story short, I still have two of those "seedlings" growing in 12" pots that I summer outdoors and basically warehouse as leafless saplings over the winters inside the house.  They're each about six feet tall, branching broadly as is their habit.  I hesitate to kick them up into pots any larger than what they're in now, or they'll probably become too unwieldy to manage this way.  I hope to take them to Florida someday when we relocate/retire there, but I'm not sure I can afford enough property to do them justice!

Life does find a way.

[kinzyjr]

On 7/29/2021 at 6:18 PM, Greg D said:

Hi, quick question on these.  I am growing about 10 of these from seeds and plan to give away a bunch to my neighbors since I live in a horse property neighborhood with acre to two acre lots.  I just noticed that there are small thorn looking things growing and googled it and it says they have thorns which I never noticed before when I was doing all of my research.  For folks that have these, how bad are the thorns?  The reason I ask is that I have a few volunteer mesquites that are beautiful and getting large but I HATE cutting them because they have two inch thorns that make it like fighting with a tiger.  I almost lost an eye one time when looking up when cutting and have ended up with large gashes on my legs and arms.  I am not looking to get into another one of those situations..  Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Greg

http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/DELREGA.pdf

Do a CTRL + F for thorns and you'll have your answer.

[Silas_Sancona]

On 7/29/2021 at 3:18 PM, Greg D said:

Hi, quick question on these.  I am growing about 10 of these from seeds and plan to give away a bunch to my neighbors since I live in a horse property neighborhood with acre to two acre lots.  I just noticed that there are small thorn looking things growing and googled it and it says they have thorns which I never noticed before when I was doing all of my research.  For folks that have these, how bad are the thorns?  The reason I ask is that I have a few volunteer mesquites that are beautiful and getting large but I HATE cutting them because they have two inch thorns that make it like fighting with a tiger.  I almost lost an eye one time when looking up when cutting and have ended up with large gashes on my legs and arms.  I am not looking to get into another one of those situations..  Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Greg

Some forms of Dwarf Poinciana ( Also called Red Bird of Paradise ) ..which belongs to a completely different Genus than Delonix  will have small, but pliable ( on a majority of specimens ) " spines"  on some of the branches / smaller trunks.  Delonix, ( none of the species in that Genus ) will have thorns anywhere on the trunk / branches.

[jimmyt]

On 2/22/2011 at 8:34 AM, Jerry@TreeZoo said:

Jonathon,

 

She does not look like a faded bloom to me. Oh! You meant the flowers on the tree! Never mind.

 

You sure did resurrect an old thread.

@Jerry@TreeZoo  Nicely Played my man! 

[miamicuse]

How often does this tree bloom?

I know it blooms in early summers, but I have noticed some of that I drive by are blooming in November.

I have one in a rental property and it has never bloomed in November, but there is a supermarket down the street it has one and it's in full bloom right now.  I wonder if I need to fertilize more.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

Just now, miamicuse said:

How often does this tree bloom?

I know it blooms in early summers, but I have noticed some of that I drive by are blooming in November.

I have one in a rental property and it has never bloomed in November, but there is a supermarket down the street it has one and it's in full bloom right now.  I wonder if I need to fertilize more.

 

Different trees can vary in flowering times..  some will go through multiple flowering cycles throughout the year, while others won't..  Being right next to the lake, and having that constant source of water can influence things too ( Best flowering trees i recall seeing in FL. experienced a warm / drought-y period before flowering ) Tree looks perfectly healthy and the Lake is likely providing plenty of nutrients to the roots  so no need to fertilize.. Majority of Legumes ( Delonix is a Legume ) produce their own Nitrogen, so no need to add more ( tree won't utilize it ).   Could add some Potassium  -under the drip line, not close to the trunk-  which might help stimulate a flowering cycle.  Would apply in early Spring,  and again in August ( to hopefully stimulate a fall flowering cycle )  not at this time of year though.

[greysrigging]

An orange coloured one in a local park, Darwin,  Australia. November is our peak flowering time.
 

[DoomsDave]

10 hours ago, greysrigging said:

An orange coloured one in a local park, Darwin,  Australia. November is our peak flowering time.
 

OBSCENITIES SCREAMED IN AUSTRALIAN!

[expletive!]

[greysrigging]

Many fine old specimens in full bloom throughout the Darwin area atm.

[kinzyjr]

It's that time of year again here:

[chinandega81]

It seems like every year they are starting to pop earlier and earlier. 

[greysrigging]

Tropical Northern Australia the flowering season commences in November. so I'm guessing May/Dec in Southern Florida ?
Townsville Poincianna


 

[bubba]

Lee in Az. did a great job showing north Mexico to Tucson (!). They appear to bloom in the southwest/Az in late June/early July. I am certain that the California desert grows Delonix regia and it would be interesting to see when they bloom. I also believe I have seen pictures from our savant grower in Az. showing early pops in May recently.

The colors provided by Greys (Aussie)and Xenon (RGV) are terrific. This seems to be more evidence that the dryer the climate, the more prolific the Bloom. I would love to see some California desert action together with when they bloom.

To Grey’s point, in So Fla, they bloom as early as April in dry years and latter in wet years. As Dave pointed out, they need real heat and therefore are doubtful in the marine area of California. I have seen many beautiful and colorful blooms here but nothing to match those provided by Grey and Xenon. It is another coconut like synonym for tropical.

[Silas_Sancona]

5 hours ago, bubba said:

Lee in Az. did a great job showing north Mexico to Tucson (!). They appear to bloom in the southwest/Az in late June/early July. I am certain that the California desert grows Delonix regia and it would be interesting to see when they bloom. I also believe I have seen pictures from our savant grower in Az. showing early pops in May recently.

The colors provided by Greys (Aussie)and Xenon (RGV) are terrific. This seems to be more evidence that the dryer the climate, the more prolific the Bloom. I would love to see some California desert action together with when they bloom.

To Grey’s point, in So Fla, they bloom as early as April in dry years and latter in wet years. As Dave pointed out, they need real heat and therefore are doubtful in the marine area of California. I have seen many beautiful and colorful blooms here but nothing to match those provided by Grey and Xenon. It is another coconut like synonym for tropical.

Go over to the " Grows on You " forum and look up pictures posted by " Delonix "  ( Been awhile, but, he has posted pictures here under a different screen name as well )  Numerous pictures of Royal Poinciana growing and flowering well in coastal / near coastal San Diego..  Have seen other pictures of specimens in coastal areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties as well.. and pretty sure i'd heard of a few specimens growing as far north as Ventura / Oxnard / Santa Barbara a few years ago.  If correct, those might not be old enough to do much yet.

Only thing growing closer to the coast in S. Cal. might do to specimens old enough to flower there is push back the flowering cycle to later in the summer / early fall.. Other than that, they'll grow just fine.    ..Just reach flowering age a bit slower..

[kinzyjr]

I would have to say the best blooms on the particular tree I photographed were in that super-dry stretch where it barely rained at all from January to May.  We then proceeded to nearly set a record for rainfall in a year without a named storm.  Our typical bloom month for them here is May.

[bubba]

Driveby color shot:

[greysrigging]

October is 'Poincianna' Season in Darwin .....November is 'peak ' Poincianna Season, so another few weeks and the City will be ablaze with these beautiful trees in full bloom.
This specimen is in a park near my house...
 

[greysrigging]

The much photographed  'orange' flame tree near the Karama Shopping Centre.
Possibly the largest specimen with this flower colour in the suburbs of Darwin.