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