African Tulip Tree

[epicure3]

I am curious about whether the prolonged cold in FLA has affected anyones' Spathodea trees. Mine usually loses 75% of its leaves during our cool winters and was wondering if anyone in FLA has noticed any leaf loss.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

No damage here yet, but it is early, as last night was the second night in the 30's. I think any damage would show up pretty soon.

[Walt]

I am curious about whether the prolonged cold in FLA has affected anyones' Spathodea trees. Mine usually loses 75% of its leaves during our cool winters and was wondering if anyone in FLA has noticed any leaf loss.

Timely question, as there's a big African tulip tree in town (Lake Placid, Florida) that I want to check on after this prolonged bout of cold weather.

I kneo last winter's cold didn't cause leaf drop nor flower damage, as I visually checked the tree after three back to back nights in the 20s (27, 23.5, 27), all radiational cooling nights.

However, those temperatures were recorded by me at my place, two miles away from town. Further, the town is 70 feet higher in elevation than my place, hence it is warmer at night in town.

I took the below photo last January, about two weeks before the bad freezes. But I went back to town after the freezes and the tree looked okay to me. Next week I will check on this tree and take a photo and post it here. If this tree goes through this Sunday and Monday mornings (coldest arctic air of the season is supposed to come through) undamaged, it will be the 13th winter (since I've lived here) that there wasn't freeze damage up in town in the air inversion layer.

[Walt]

I forgot to post this zoom photo, taken from the same spot as the first photo:

[rozpalm]

I have one as big as the big one in the picture and its dropping some leaves but nothing more then it normally does.

[ThunderSRQ]

I have one that's about 8' tall that was planted in 2008 and it got all the leaves "smoked" by the first frost event last winter and then, since things got a little warm/normal before the next frost event, new leaves were emerging and that 2nd event last year "killed" the tree all the way to the ground. It did grow back this past summer (with mulitple trunks) and the frost we just got this past week burned the leaves again -- I'm hoping there won't be a repeat "delayed frost" event as I think the only real damage last time was due to the timing of that 2nd frost (it is forecast to be at or below freezing here again Sat./Sun. night -- but with the wind hopefully there won't be any frost). The short answer would be that I think the only reason mine got whacked so badly was due to the frost events -- not the cold temps.

Tim

[epicure3]

I have one that's about 8' tall that was planted in 2008 and it got all the leaves "smoked" by the first frost event last winter and then, since things got a little warm/normal before the next frost event, new leaves were emerging and that 2nd event last year "killed" the tree all the way to the ground. It did grow back this past summer (with mulitple trunks) and the frost we just got this past week burned the leaves again -- I'm hoping there won't be a repeat "delayed frost" event as I think the only real damage last time was due to the timing of that 2nd frost (it is forecast to be at or below freezing here again Sat./Sun. night -- but with the wind hopefully there won't be any frost). The short answer would be that I think the only reason mine got whacked so badly was due to the frost events -- not the cold temps.

Tim

Well, here, I don't get freezes or frosts but the continual cool weather makes them drop leaves. The tree is not harmed in any way and leafs out around April to resume growth and flowering.

[ariscott]

I know they are pretty tough trees... There was one fell over from the cyclone and it continued to grow... Of course, it was across the driveway and my friend had to chop it...

Regards, Ari

[Al in Kona]

Spathodea trees come up like weeds around here. I do like the flowers so I let two main trees grow and they produce seed all the time and I now find even more of these weeds growing in all sorts of places. I'm now thinking of cutting all of them down. It's too bad that such a beautifully flowering tree can become such a troublesome weed.

[Eric in Orlando]

We have a 15ft one here and yesterday it had about 80% of the foliage burnt, some green leaves underneath. Probably will defoliate and maybe die back a few inches into the branches.

[epicure3]

We have a 15ft one here and yesterday it had about 80% of the foliage burnt, some green leaves underneath. Probably will defoliate and maybe die back a few inches into the branches.

they are pretty tough but it's interesting to see that this tree seems to be ok with a few months of dormancy if you gradually reduce temps. There are many in San Diego that hold their leaves all year and are quite large. They seems to be protected from the wind, which mine is not.

[Daryl]

Spathodea trees come up like weeds around here. I do like the flowers so I let two main trees grow and they produce seed all the time and I now find even more of these weeds growing in all sorts of places. I'm now thinking of cutting all of them down. It's too bad that such a beautifully flowering tree can become such a troublesome weed.

Same around these parts...they are on the list of 'Bad' plants here. There are thousands of trees around town and they used to come up everywhere. They have not been such a problem over the last few dry years.

The Yellow form is still desirable amongst collectors here.

Daryl