“Front of yard, in the ground 2 years.”
Background
Delonix regia is native to Madagascar, discovered in the early 19th century by botanist Wenceslas Bojer and named for Philippe de Longvilliers de Poincy. Called flamboyant ('flaming') in French, it spread through colonial botanical exchange to become one of the world's iconic tropical street trees. The naturally occurring yellow-flowered variety is var. flavida. The UA arboretum notes it was rediscovered growing wild in Madagascar in the 1930s and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful tropical trees.
Distinguishing traits
Medium deciduous tree, 30-40 ft tall with a wider umbrella canopy; delicate fern-like bipinnate leaves that fold at dusk. Spectacular scarlet to orange-red 4-5 in flowers in late spring and summer: four spreading petals plus one upright standard spotted yellow and white. Long flat woody seed pods follow. The UA arboretum describes royal poinciana as a fast-growing tree of 20-50 feet tall and 50-100 feet wide, with broad umbrella-shaped crowns and red summer flowers.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- n/a — ornamental
- Cold hardiness
- Zones 10-12 (some growers list 9-11); frost-sensitive. Protect from freezing; established trees rebound from light freezes. Tucson specimens have survived 26°F nights with canopy damage and regrown.
- Heat tolerance
- Oblivious to desert heat and blazing sun once past the seedling stage; drought hardy.
- Water
- Moderate; deep soak every 7-10 days in summer for in-ground trees. Overwatering kills seedlings — the commonest cause of young-tree loss.
- Soil
- Well-drained; adaptable. The UA arboretum notes it tolerates a wide range of soils, sandy to clay and acidic to alkaline, and as a nitrogen-fixing legume it improves soil.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun.
Where to buy
- Top Tropicals (Fort Myers, FL)