#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  Trees: fast growing, shade giving.

## tamadah

I have 16 acres of prime isaan dirt to my name and we have pulled all the scrub and scrawny trees up. Unfortunately, the previous owner cut down some of the more substantial trees so it's looking a bit bare and bereft of shady spots.

Are there any recommendations for a relatively fast-growing tree that will eventually provide some degree of shade and seclusion around the corner of the allotment that's being eyeballed for a home construction? I have heard reference to a 'white teak' but don't know if that's it's proper anglicized name or what. Dton Jamphi and Jampha have been mentioned but no clue what these look like. Also 'Asoke' which I think is a tall, narrow tree that's good for a 'wall' effect and wind breaks when planted close together.

I have mango trees in my Pattaya yard that are quite large but I am not sure how long they took to get that big.

If anyone has pictures of their recommendations, that would be a much appreciated bonus.

Many thanks!

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## pompeybloke

If you have ownership papers for the land, plant teak saplings for the future. They do need protecting and servicing though so you need to live nearby the land to take care of them.
er....doesn't really solve the shade issue though. Those eucalyptus grow easily and quickly like weeds, but that's what they are; tree sized weeds, and they inhibit the growth of any productive trees.
Also, you might want to consider a fruit tree orchard but the land would need ploughing and feeding with say, chicken shit and plenty of, before sapling planting.

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## dirtydog

This tree is about 2 years old I think, plenty of water as it is on the bank of the pond, must be about 6 meters tall already, nice looking tree for shade but I have no idea what it is.

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## tuktukdriver

Tree bamboo. The stuff grows about a foot a day. It must be cheap in Thailand. You can cut walkways through it and they turn into nice, shady, peaceful places.

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## dirtydog

Bamboo is really messy though, loads of dead leaves and bits and pieces, snakes and other nasty critters probably like it aswell  :Sad:

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## somtamslap

These are quite nice. Grow fairly quickly and get very big. No idea what they are called but are very common in the garden centres here.

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## tuktukdriver

I live in Japan and love the bamboo groves here. You can make a lot of simple things out of it too. Not sure about the snakes in Thailand though.

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## spliff

> These are quite nice. Grow fairly quickly and get very big. No idea what they are called but are very common in the garden centres here.


Nice, they look like giant buds.

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## DrAndy

Try planting some Thakop; they have nice red berries that are sweet with lots of tiny seeds

They grow fast, give shade and birds love the berries

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## Patrick

> Originally Posted by somtamslap
> 
> 
> These are quite nice. Grow fairly quickly and get very big. No idea what they are called but are very common in the garden centres here.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nice, they look like giant buds.


These are called "Asoke" in Thailand.

Being tall and quite thin they do not offer much shade from an overhead sun however.

They are most often planted as a sort of screen, that said they are not very strong and quite easily blow down in a strong wind so best not to plant them near your house.

Patrick

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## hillbilly

Excellent advice from Dr. Andy.  I planted one of these trees upcountry and it has grown like a weed. I think I originally paid about B10,000 for the tree.

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## Ed Lee

Have some of the trees the Thai Princess is involved with, HUGE leaves, I mean HUGE.
Grow very fast, mature in 4-5 years, but I forget the name.

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## DrAndy

come on Ed, try harder

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## WhiteLotusLane

> This tree is about 2 years old I think, plenty of water as it is on the bank of the pond, must be about 6 meters tall already, nice looking tree for shade but I have no idea what it is.



This one is called  'Ton Hoo Kwang' or 'Deer's Ear Tree'.  Indeed it grows like a wildfire.  :Wink:   This does look like a young one, they spread out pretty wide as well, covering a lot of ground with shade.

Other than providing shade in a hurry, it's utterly useless; can't use the wood for anything, and it sheds most of its leaves in the dry season, creating a mess. (At least it doesn't shed continuously throughout the year though)

Super easy to grow.. they produce seeds that sprout up all over the place.

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## Smithson

> Try planting some Thakop; they have nice red berries that are sweet with lots of tiny seeds
> 
> They grow fast, give shade and birds love the berries


This is a good suggestions.

Bamboo is good also, but takes a while to get established. Not messy at all, unless your into English style manicured gardens. The leaves make excellent mulch.

You should also try some nitrogen fixing trees, these can take nitrogen from the air and store it. In the rainy season you cut them back, the trimmings just throw on the ground for fertilizer. When cut back a portion of the roots die, adding notrogen to the soil. Many are quick growing, a popular variety is Kratin, you can eat it as well.

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## JaiYinYin

I think the White Teak you are refering to is called Gmelina although i dont think thats its thai name. I saw it in Africa and was told it was introduced there from Malasia it is very fast growing provides shade and when you cut it down it regrows, i plan on planting this myself in thailand. Google will tell you more.

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## Gipsy

One of the fastest growing and most beautiful flowering shade trees I can think of would be *Delonix regia*. 




I planted a few of these in my garden 5 years ago, seedlings in little pots they were, about a meter high with a stem as thick as your thumb. Now I can't put my arms around the trunks anymore... 60 to 70 cm. in diameter. Heights vary from 9 to 12 meter and its 'footprint of shadow' is varying from 15 to 20 meter... they're huge in just 5 years!

Delonix regia is a member of the bean family (Leguminosae) and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful tropical trees in the world. As the trees mature, they develop broad umbrella-shaped crowns, and are often planted for their shade-giving properties. The delicate, fern-like leaves are composed of small individual leaflets, which fold up at the onset of dusk. Lovely small foliage that will 'vibrate' even with a little breeze. This tree produces brown, woody seed pods that reach lengths of up to 60 cm; they turn reddish-brown to almost black when ripe.



*Culture*  | Delonix regia is very fast growing, about 5 ft (1.5 m) per year until maturity, and tolerant of a wide range of well drained soils from acidic to alkaline and from loamy to gravelly. It's best to provide protection from strong winds.
 *Light* | Full sun. 
 *Moisture* | Delonix regia is drought tolerant, but does best with regular water in the growing season and very little water in its dormant season.  
*Propagation* | Propagate Delonix regia from semi-ripe tip cuttings taken in summer. Best results come with bottom heat. Seedlings vary in flower characteristics and may take 3 to 4 years to flower.
*
Usage*  | Delonix regia is a spectacular shade tree in tropical climates. As a free standing specimen tree, it has no peers. Delonix regia tolerates salty conditions and can be grown near the coast, but not in openly exposed beach conditions. Delonix regia tolerates hard pruning and can be kept at a small size, and even grown in the greenhouse. I've seen bonsai versions as well...

The big bonus, of course, is their flowers, once a year. Almost a bare tree after the 'cold' season here in Thailand, just as the new leave appear, it bursts into an almost solid mass of blossoms that can vary in color from crimson and scarlet to orange and apricot, scarlet being the most common. I'm lucky to also have a few of a rare cultivar; the yellow Delonix regia. My trees started flowering (from seed) after 4 years, some had a few clusters of blossom, others were already what I dreamed they would be. Now, at 5 years old, they are big lumps of color, not to be missed.


Unfortunately for you the seedpods have already opened en dropped their seeds, so seeds cannot be collected right now. But if you can locate some trees, go have a look for seeds that have sprouted under the big ones. I see them here, around Chiang Mai, a lot, about 40 cm. high at the moment, hardly higher than the weeds, but you will recognize the foliage of the parent tree. Very often they are found alongside the small khlongs/canals that provide water for the farmers. Once located, a spade is all it needs to collect a few! Otherwise you will find that flower markets/nurseries will have them, you only need a few to cover a nice big area of shadow.

And......., before anyone asks again…..  :Wink: 

*Common name*(s) | 

Carolinian: fáyárbaw, nfayarbaw
Chamorro: arbol del fuego, arbol del fuego, atbot, atbot, atbut
Chuukese: meei flower
English: falsa acacia, flambouyant, flamboyant, flame tree, peacock flower, poinciana, red tree, royal ponciana
Fijian: sekoula
French: flamboyant, pacayer
Hawaiian: ‘ohai ‘ula
I-Kiribati: te kai te tua, te tau, te tua
Indonesian: flamboyan, merak
Maori (Cook Islands): marumaru, pātai, pū pī, puka kai, rākau tāmarumaru
Malay: flamboyan, merak, semarak api, sepanggil
Nauruan: bin
Niuean: pinē
Palauan: nangiosákura, nangyo
Pohnpeian: pilampwoia weitahta
Samoan: elefane, tamaligi
Spanish: árbol del fuego, atbot det fuegu, flamboyán
Tahitian: pakai, puke, ra‘ar marumaru
*Thai: (ton mai) hang-nok-yung*
Tongan: ‘ohai
Tongarevan: pātai
Tuamotuan: faefae
Tuvaluan: fuatausaga
Ulithian: warapig
Yapese: sakuranirow


More info on the Delonix regia | 
Delonix regia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Delonix regia - Royal poinciana (Fabaceae) - Plants of Hawaii - Images by Forest & Kim Starr  (lots of details)

And a yellow one | 
File:Yellow Delonix Regia.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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## david44

Temp solutionis banans and you can eat them while chewing over your final selection

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## palexxxx

Try Paulownia (Chinese Powton) big leaves,  very shady,  nice purple flowers












or Catalpa (Indian Bean tree) big leaves,  very shady,  nice white flowers

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## palexxxx

^  Didn't realize how old the OP was until after I'd posted.

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## Takeovers

Didn't know that orchids grow that big. :Smile: 

Beautiful flowers.

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## aging one

This is perfect for me. My whole front and side yard died in the floods. I lost a 12 year old avocado grown from seed, chompoo, jackfruit, and most of my wassana are 50/50 to make it through. I must get out and get some more. The house faces west and is now going to be 4-6 degrees hotter inside without the shade. 

I think I will get some kind of pull down curtains for my front balcony this year. I would not be able to sit outside March, April or May because of the heat. 



The only thing left alive is the small pine. The rest is dead.  Shit!!!

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## Covertjay

Any ideas for salinated land, no trees, and limited rainfall (3 months per year)? Got a pond, and coconuts, bananas and mangoes around the pond on a 2 rai plot, but get the mai dai for every idea I come up with for the other 1 1/2 rai. Aussie trees leach the soil more and the locals only tell me monoculture some chillis. Gotta be a better way. Also got a 3 rai plot 20 mins away, but gotta wait for an uncle to finish his sugar cane crop. Got big fruit trees around the house, but need some ideas. That plot has good soil but dry with only a pond and the cane. Locals say sugar canes good but bamboo is snake city. Since they're similar I don't quite belive it. Good thread, and thx for any ideas.

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## Borey the Bald

I am facing a similar problem.  I would start by asking the locals which of this list of salt tolerant trees  is found in your area:


 Scientific Name, Common Name, Thai Name

 Albizia lebbeck, Siris Tree, Kase/Thone/Phruek/Thon/Chakham

Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Oriental Mangrove, Pang ka ha sum

Calophyllum inophyllum, Portia Tree/Borneo Mahogany, Krathing/Nao wa kan/Saraphee neen

Cocos nucifera, Coconut Palm, Ma prao

Cordia subcordata, Beach Cordia, Rampon

Gliricidia sepium, Gliricidia/Mexican Lilac, Kha farang/Kea farang

Intsia bijuga, Borneo Teak, Lumpho thale/Pradu thale

Pithecellobium dulce, Manila Tamarind, Ma kham thet

Rhizophora mucronata, Red Mangrove, Phang ka

Senna siamea, Kassod, Khi lek/Kho lek

Terminalia catappa, Tropical Almond, Taa pang/Dat mue/Hu kwang

Thespesia populnea, Cork Tree, Pho thale/Po kamat phrai


 The above is certainly not a complete listing of salt tolerant trees, just a few I have found reference to.  I've never found a good listing.    It would be good to check with the local Thai Forestry Department or University.  They recognize the need for salt tolerant trees, and have been conducting research on developing salt tolerant varieties.  A couple that I know are under development are:


 Samanea saman, Rain Tree, Jamjuree/Kamphu

Azadirachta siamensis, Thai Neem, Sa dao thai/Ka dao


 Hope this helps.  Good luck.

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## Ceburat1

There is a tree called "wild cherry tree" in Thailand.  They grow fast and have delicious cherries which the birds love and get to before you. Most Thai's know about the tree.  There is some along Sukumvit in Bangkok.  Grows to a full size tree in under two years.  Somewhat messy due to flowers dropping and  birds but a nice looking tree with good fruit.

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## DrAndy

> I lost a 12 year old avocado grown from seed, chompoo, jackfruit, and most of my wassana are 50/50 to make it through. I must get out and get some more. The house faces west and is now going to be 4-6 degrees hotter inside without the shade.


if you have some spare cash, you can buy mature trees to replace those lost

they take a little while to establish but you should get your shade partially back by next year

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## dirtydog

I don't know the name of this tree but saw them in Sri Racha, got to admit one of the nicest shade trees I have seen.



The leaves are very small so do let a small amount of sunlight through, worth it though as the tree does look pretty good.

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## Borey the Bald

^  I looked at the above photos a couple of days ago, and thought that it should be fairly easy to identify the type of tree shown.  It appears to have an uncommon leaf shape (oblong-lanceolate) of an unusual size (about one inch length) based on my best guess from the photo.  That, and what appeared to be 3 or 4 leaves grouped (whorls) at the end of each branch should be distinctive enough to identify, even without flowers or fruits.  I assumed the photos were taken in very early Spring before many trees would have blossomed.  




 After several hours of browsing the literature, I have been left scratching my barren head. My best guess (though I am far from convinced) is a pomegranate tree (Punica granatum).  It is described as  "An attractive shrub or small tree, to 20 or 30 ft (6 or 10 m) high, the pomegranate is much-branched, more or less spiny, and extremely long lived.....The leaves are evergreen or deciduous, opposite or in whorls of 5 or 6, short-stemmed, oblong-lanceolate, 3/8 to 4 in (1-10 cm) long, leathery."




Pomegranate bud and leaves

It superficially resembles Mr. Dog's posted photo , but I wouldn't bet the rice paddy on the identification.

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## Boon Mee

> These are called "Asoke" in Thailand.


Full name is Asoke India.  They are not too fast growing tho.  Like lots of water.

Don't know if it's been mentioned but Teen Pet are real fast growing and don't look too bad.  There's another variety called Teen Pet Nam that grow almost as fast and have a better shape.

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## Boon Mee

> One of the fastest growing and most beautiful flowering shade trees I can think of would be *Delonix regia*.


I've heard this tree called Haa Nok Young?  Anyone confirm?  That's supposed to be one of the Thai names for it.  :Smile:

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## Gipsy

> Anyone confirm?


I think I did before you even asked.... see post 17.... *Thai: (Ton mai) Hang-nok-yung)*

Flowering has almost come to an end here in Chiang Mai and the tree is slowly turning green...

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## Boon Mee

> Originally Posted by Boon Mee
> 
>  Anyone confirm?
> 
> 
> I think I did before you even asked.... see post 17.... *Thai: (Ton mai) Hang-nok-yung)*
> 
> Flowering has almost come to an end here in Chiang Mai and the tree is slowly turning green...


Apologies Gypsy.  I overlooked that.  :Smile: 

Flowering is still going strong here in northern Suphan all along Hwy 340.  K. Banharn has done a terrific job 'greening' up this Changwat.  I intend to plant several of these trees on my property.  They are indeed beautiful!  :Smile:

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## oldest swinger

The tree in dirtydog's post is called (in Thai) hoo krajok, which means sparrow's ear. It is not the pomegranate tree.

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## thailazer

> One of the fastest growing and most beautiful flowering shade trees I can think of would be *Delonix regia*. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I planted a few of these in my garden 5 years ago, seedlings in little pots they were, about a meter high with a stem as thick as your thumb. Now I can't put my arms around the trunks anymore... 60 to 70 cm. in diameter. Heights vary from 9 to 12 meter and its 'footprint of shadow' is varying from 15 to 20 meter... they're huge in just 5 years!
> 
> Delonix regia is a member of the bean family (Leguminosae) and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful tropical trees in the world. As the trees mature, they develop broad umbrella-shaped crowns, and are often planted for their shade-giving properties. The delicate, fern-like leaves are composed of small individual leaflets, which fold up at the onset of dusk. Lovely small foliage that will 'vibrate' even with a little breeze. This tree produces brown, woody seed pods that reach lengths of up to 60 cm; they turn reddish-brown to almost black when ripe.
> 
> ...


Nice thread here!   I am with Gypsy that the Delonix is a fast growing, beautiful tree.   We have several within site and my wife wants me to go and dig up some seedlings and get them going here on our property.    They sure do spread out well.   I imagine the wood would have some complex grain patterns if it is usable for woodworking.

Another tree to consider is the Lomyai tree if they grow well in the OP's area.  It grows fairly fast and you can prune it to grow tall or wide.   The leaves fall each year and keep the undergrowth down as well.   We have several and almost every one has bird and bee nests in them, not to mention tons of berries on the way.

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## Cujo

> This is perfect for me. My whole front and side yard died in the floods. I lost a 12 year old avocado grown from seed, chompoo, jackfruit, and most of my wassana are 50/50 to make it through. I must get out and get some more. The house faces west and is now going to be 4-6 degrees hotter inside without the shade. 
> 
> I think I will get some kind of pull down curtains for my front balcony this year. I would not be able to sit outside March, April or May because of the heat. 
> 
> 
> 
> The only thing left alive is the small pine. The rest is dead.  Shit!!!


Nice house. I wonder if buri-ironic-boy's house is as nice.

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## Borey the Bald

> The tree in dirtydog's post is called (in Thai) hoo krajok, which means sparrow's ear. It is not the pomegranate tree.


Thanks for the correction.

This is the closest I could find for hoo krajok.  Might not be correct.   From the photos and descriptions on the net I would never have guessed it to be Mr. Dog's tree.  I'd never heard of this tree before.  Not native nor widely grown in Thailand.  Here is some info on that tree from a Thai website:


"The Terminalia Ivorensis (Ivorensis) / ต้นหูกระจง is growing in popularity as an urban feature  and as a stylish and chique addition to any modern tropical landscape design.  
Also known as the black afara, it is currently listed as a threatened tree species by the IUCN due to lumbering and loss of natural habitat. Therefore its purchase and inclusion should adhere to ethical guidelines.
In it's natural home of West Africa, it is a large, deciduous forest tree, distinguishable by its slender, upright trunk and clean bole, but more so, for it's evenly distributed foliage that often runs horizontally, providing rare symmetry for such a large tree."


The problem I have is that there seems to be at least a half dozen Thai names for every type of tree.  Many names are only used locally.  Often makes it tough to identify.  I have a list of about 2000 Thai plant names.  Nothing is even close to hoo krajok.

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## oldest swinger

I think BtB has identified the species of Terminalia correctly. In my part of Thailand - Isan - they are fairly common, particularly in government areas. Right outside the window of my office, on the 4th floor, there are half a dozen of them the tops of which are at my eye-level. They were planted about 6 years ago.
I agree there can be confusion with Thai names, especially on a regional basis. I asked 3 Thai colleagues what the name is and they all gave me the same answer. To make sure that I had understood them properly, I asked one of my students to translate the name into English. Answer: hoo krajok - sparrow's ear.

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## Gipsy

> I imagine the wood would have some complex grain patterns if it is usable for woodworking.





Delonix regia wood is very lightweight and not dense at all. The light brown wood (slightly greyish when dried improperly) is weak, brittle, and soft. A little piece can easily be dented by your fingernail. Pick up a lenghtly, broken old branch and be surprised. Also beware that once the trees are big, once and a while enormous branches drop when it's storming and can cause damage to surrounding plants or other objects nearby.

The wood can be used for woodworking but probably only for small/short things like wooden toys. I use it myself to make fishing lures (baitcasts) and it works fine. Easy to cut and sand.

It's a poor timber source, once dry it burns good, but very short-lived. I just toss the broken branches on the compost heaps, where they degrade quickly...

And don't place/hang anything 'strange' like a metal-wired orchid basket from a branch, or a stone/pot where 2 branches come together... the tree will slowly form a callus over the object and 'eat' it.  :Smile:

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## thailazer

Gipsy.... All good information to log away in the brain.   We had some heavy rains last night so today might be a good day to dig up some and replant them here.   Will heed your advice about the possibility of falling limbs!

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## Gipsy

> We had some heavy rains last night



Hehe... same rains here, I guess, as I'm not far away from you. Seedlings of Delonix regia everwhere now.



And that's how you end up with enough wood for 9999 lures and too many Plumeria rubra cuttings  :Smile: .

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## thailazer

> Originally Posted by thailazer
> 
> We had some heavy rains last night
> 
> 
> 
> Hehe... same rains here, I guess, as I'm not far away from you. Seedlings of Delonix regia everwhere now.
> 
> 
> ...


We dug up one a few days ago and replanted it here.   It looks a bit droopy so not sure it going to make it or not.  Leaves are not dropping off but most trees that make it here look better than this Delonix replant.     Guess I should have picked up one from the garden center!

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