Royal Poinciana, Flame Tree
Delonix regia

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree which loses its leaves during the year in places with a long dry season. It grows to 12 m tall and spreads to 6 m wide. The trunk is stout and has knots. The bark is thick and greyish brown. The leaves are twice divided and are feathery. The leaves are bright green. They are 30-50 cm long divided into 10-25 pairs of leaflets. The flowers are orange to scarlet. They have 5 club shaped petals. Flowers are 10-13 cm across. The fruit are reddish brown long pods. The pods can be 60 cm long. They are green and flexible when young and hard and brown when mature. They contain mottled yellow seeds which are oblong.

There are 2 (10) Delonix species. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It is native to Madagascar. They are frost tender. They need full sunlight. They need a fertile, moist but well drained soil. The temperatures need to be above 18-21°C for seeds to grow. Trees must have a temperature above 7°C. In Nepal it grows up to 1000 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andaman Is., Angola, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central America, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Is., Congo DR, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Libya, Madagascar (country/location of origin), Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mariana Islands, Marquesas, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, Niger, Niue, North America, Northeastern India, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Rotuma, SE Asia, Sikkim, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Indies, Yap, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The young leaves are sometimes eaten as a vegetable. The flower buds are eaten as a pot herb. The seeds contain a gum. They are eaten. The green fruit are roasted and eaten.

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves, flowers, fruit

How it is grown

Trees can be grown from seed or cuttings. Cuttings grow best in soil with bottom heat. The seeds can be placed in boiling water for 2 minutes, then soaked in cold water for 24 hours to help them germinate.

The pods take about 2 years to ripen.

Its other names

Local names

Ai-akasi, Alamboronala, Diep bong do, Diep tay, Fang daeng, Fang hang nhoung, Flamboyant Tree, Fuaitansanga, Ginimaa, Gold mohur, Golmaar, Gulmohr, Gulmohur, Hahng-nok-yoong, Kngaok barang, Kok fang nyung, Krishnachura, Mak fang, Mayarum, Merqaya, Mjohoro, Mkakaya, Phuong, Phuongvi, Poyon flamboyant, Shima sankesula

Synonyms

Poinciana regia Bojer ex Hook.; Caesalpinia regia (Bojer ex Hook.) D. Dietr.;