The Royal Poinciana Delonix Regia

Ha Bui ENH 101

General Information

• Family: Fabaceae • Scientific name: Delonix regia • Common name(s): Royal Poinciana; flamboyant tree • Origin: native to Madagascar • Uses: ornamental shade tree • Hardiness: USDA Zones 10‐12 Description

• Height: 35 to 40 feet • Spread: 40 to 60 feet • Crown shape: elegant wide‐spreading umbrella like canopy • Texture: fine • Growth: fast Foliage

• Leaf arrangement: alternate • Leaf type: bipinnately compound – 12‐20 in. long with 10‐20 pairs of primary leaflets, each divided into 20‐30 pairs of secondary leaflets • Leaf type and persistence: semi‐evergreen • Leaf color: green • Fall color: no fall color change Flower

• Flower color: red‐orange • Terminal clustered flowers at the ends of branches • 5 petals ‐ Four crinkled shaped red petals and one upright slightly larger petal (standard) which is spotted with orange‐yellow and white • Flower characteristics: summer flowering for months; very showy

Fruit

• Fruit shape: elongated; pod • Fruit length: 12 inches or more • Fruit covering: dry or hard • Fruit color: reddish brown when ripe in late summer Culture

• Light requirement: tree grows in full sun • Soil tolerances: tolerant of a wide range of well drained soils form acidic to alkaline and from loamy to gravelly • Drought tolerance: high • Moisture: does best with regular water in the growing season and very little water in its dormant season Pests and Diseases

• Resistant to pests/diseases • Caterpillars can eat some foliage • Root fungus which can kill a weakened tree

Sources

• http://www.floridata.com/ref/D/delo_reg.cfm • http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/DELREGA.pdf