Royal Poinciana Delonix Regia tree seeds

LATIN NAME: Delonix regia

COMMON NAME: Royal Poinciana, Flamboyant, Flame Tree

The royal poinciana is one of the most spectacular of the world’s flowering trees, and its great canopy of scarlet-orange bloom is a blaze that can be seen for miles. It grows as a tall, spreading, deciduous tree, reaching up to twelve metres and more, with a broad, umbrella-like crown of fern-like, finely divided leaves and, in the warm season, the astonishing display, when the whole crown is covered in great clusters of large, showy, orange-red flowers with their crinkled, spoon-shaped petals, so that the tree burns with a scarlet-orange flame, followed by the long, flat, woody pods of many hard seeds. It is a species of the bean family, native to Madagascar, and it is noted for its fern-like leaves and its flamboyant display of orange-red flowers over the summer, while it is grown around the tropical and subtropical world as one of the great flowering trees.

The royal poinciana belongs to the bean family, Fabaceae, in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae, and it is a species of flowering plant native to Madagascar. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and its flamboyant display of orange-red flowers over the summer, and it is grown around the warm world as one of the great flowering trees.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The royal poinciana has a genuine and growing place in both horticultural and ecological research. It has been studied in horticulture, since it is one of the most spectacular of the flowering trees, prized for its astonishing canopy of scarlet-orange bloom, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its growth and its value in the warm landscape, while its spectacular flowering has made it a celebrated tree of the tropics and the subtropics, and its great canopy of bloom has been examined. The tree has also been studied in ecology, since it is native to Madagascar and it has been planted widely across the warm world, and researchers have examined its growth and its behaviour in the regions where it has been introduced, while the remarkable flowering of the tree and its role in the landscape have been examined, and the tree has drawn attention in the international horticultural and travel press as one of the great flowering trees of the warm world. The species has also been studied in botany, since it is a member of the bean family, and its classification and its relationships have been examined. For a tree of such flame, the royal poinciana has a rich and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the royal poinciana is a spectacular tree of the warm world. Its great scarlet-orange flowers feed the birds and the bees, its flat pods and seeds feed the wildlife, and its broad canopy gives shade and shelter, while it is a blaze of bloom in the warm cities and the coasts.

Its economic value is real. It is one of the great flowering trees of the warm world, grown in the streets, the parks and the hotel gardens of the tropics, and its flame of bloom has drawn attention in the international horticultural and travel press as one of the most spectacular of the flowering trees, while its hard seeds have also been used in the making of the ornaments. For a grower, the royal poinciana is a rewarding and spectacular tree, and for a gardener in a warm region it brings a whole canopy of scarlet-orange flame. The seeds are easy, but they need a little patience — nick them lightly, then soak them in warm water overnight, and sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost in a warm, sunny spot, and they’ll sprout within a few weeks, growing on into a fast, flame-flowered tree.

Few trees can rival the poincian's dazzling flower display, which covers its impressive canopy for weeks in summer. First discovered more than two centuries ago, and a genus of only one species, Delonix regia is now quite rare in the wild, but commonly cultivated in tropic climates. In height, the poinciana is moderate, usually no more than 8-10 mtrs, but its breadth is tremendous, with a canopy of near horizontal branches that may spread 15-20 mtrs wide. In summer, when the awesome crown is covered in swathes of scarlet flowers, it is easy to se why the poinciana is regarded as on of the worlds most spectacular trees.

Poinciana's are best grown in tropical climates. but they also adopt to subtropical gardens in suitably warm climates. The plants prefer full sun, protection from strong wind, and well drained soil, with plenty of water in summer.