Royal poinciana, flame tree · Fabaceae · Deciduous flowering tree
The most recognisable flowering tree in the tropics, and usually the one a client points at. A broad flat umbrella crown covered in scarlet-orange flowers at the start of the wet season, over fine ferny foliage.
Specification
| Mature height | 10–15 m |
| Crown spread | 12–20 m — wider than tall |
| Calliper range supplied | 15–40 cm, measured 1 m above soil level [to confirm] |
| Root-ball diameter | 90–160 cm [to confirm] |
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Habit | Deciduous in a marked dry season |
| Flowering | Scarlet to orange-red, early wet season; large flat pods follow |
| Minimum order quantity | [to confirm] |
Landscape use
Parks, resort and hotel grounds, wide boulevards, and feature planting where the crown can spread unobstructed. It works as a shade canopy as much as an ornamental — the flat crown covers a great deal of ground.
Specify it with the spread in mind — commonly wider than tall, so it wants a generous planting pit and open ground. Given that, the flat crown delivers shade across an area no upright tree will cover.
Site tolerance
| Drought | High once established |
| Salinity | Moderate [to confirm] |
| Wind | Low to moderate — brittle wood, loses limbs in storms |
| Soil | Well-drained, wide range. Dislikes waterlogging. |
| Heat | Very high — flowers best after a hot dry period |
| USDA zone | 10–12 |
Export notes
Supplied root-balled and wrapped. The wide crown is reduced for loading; it rebuilds quickly given the tree’s growth rate. Phytosanitary certification accompanies every shipment. See export and compliance.
For available sizes and current stock in this species, get in touch.