Delonix regia

Delonix regia’s bright red-orange flowering is one of the most spectacular there are. It’s with good reason that its common names include ‘flamboyant’ and ‘flame tree.’ The origin of this nickname is the tree’s impressive flowering in summer in bright red-orange colors. The tree’s flowers are large, with 4 petals up to 8 cm long each. The tree originates from the island of Madagascar. It grows at a rapid pace, its branches are almost completely perpendicular to the trunk and create a vase-shaped canopy, so without a doubt it is a successful shade tree. It is sensitive to cold so it is not suitable for mountain areas or places with tendencies for frosts and temperatures that approach 0°C. It grows well in all types of soil, but it suffers from waterlogging, so well-drained soil is preferable. It is drought resistant.

In general, the tree requires minimal watering. Auxiliary watering will indeed speed up its growth, but it will increase its sensitivity. Therefore, consideration should be given to how to maintain a proper watering regime. The watering regime, mainly in the fall, may impact the tree’s strength and survival in the winter. The tree is known for its folk remedies.

The tree’s fast growth rate, its shade-giving canopy, its impressive and beautiful flowering, all make the tree particularly successful and attractive alone, in a group or along a boulevard.

In recent years, many Delonix regias have been attacked by a pest, most likely the redbay ambrosia beetle. A damaged tree “sweats” a kind of black liquid along its branches and trunk. It is apparent that the phenomenon is contagious and mainly affects trees that have been pruned. We recommend applying insect repellent when pruning as much as possible and especially paying attention and trying to treat the problem as soon as it appears. Unfortunately, trees that are not treated in time apparently do not survive.