Poinciana roots and old houses

[Laisla87]

Hi all,

I have acquired a 12 foot tall poinciana tree that I have left in a pot against a white brick wall. The spot is sunny and sheltered, and in only a week it looks much better than when I bought it. Poincianas are marginal in my climate, and here is the where the dilemma lies.

I was going to plant it somewhere else but seeing it loves it so much there, I would like to keep it there in the ground. The wall is on the northern side of the house setback approximately 1.5m from the fence (i.e. very narrow). I thought it would be impossible to plant there due to the spreading root system of the poinciana but further investigations reveal that the passage is raised about 1.5 off the ground as it is, meaning that no roots would be likely to go deep and raise the house foundations. The root system's spread would be constricted by the house wall on one side and a concrete wall on the other.

The house is 112 years old and double brick.

I'm sure this is a bad idea but would be interested to know how to restrict the roots and whether it would be a problem for it.

Adam

[DoomsDave]

hello, Adam

Before deciding what to do in your case, see if you can find some Poincianas in the ground somewhere and see if they have shallow roots.

(I suspect some of our Floridians will just know)

Even if they do, roots don't usually go under a house, unless you have a source of water that entices them there. If there's no water (i.e., a plumbing leak) the roots won't usually go under there. That's why tree roots almost never heave a street or a parking lot, because there's no source of water. With a sidewalk, there often is,on the other side.

In any case, show us a picture of your house! 112 years old is cool!

[Laisla87]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your reply. What you have said corresponds with what I have read, I just don't have any specific experience with these trees. As it is so happy where it is I really what to keep it there.

I've attached a pic of the passage way where I want to plant it. It's extremely narrow but elevated, so the roots really can't get into the ground. I am worried that they will push the wall over though:

Here is a pic of my house. It is second from the right:

Edited October 15, 2011 by Laisla87

[Tropicgardener]

Bad, bad idea..............if you do get one to grow in your climate and I have heard of a few survivors in Sydney (but usually poor at flowering) it WILL have damaging surface roots (all Delonix do this).......best enjoyed when in full bloom in a large park or paddock!!!

[Laisla87]

Hi Andrew,

The few nurseries I have spoken to have all said they can't keep up with Poinciana demand in Sydney. Apparently there has been successful flowering poincianas recently, mainly being the northern beaches and the south-west (where the Vietnamese community have been planting them in droves). They've now sparked a trend of Poinciana plantings.

The nurseries have said that for them to survive well you need to plant them when they are 6feet high or larger. They are bringing down as many Poinciana as the suppliers can provide and the cheapest retail price is $110 for a 100 litre bag. They are bringing down the yellow ones too. It's a great business opportunity - If I was up there I would be sourcing them from retail nurseries and selling them here in the markets - you'd make a killing.

As for mine, my winter temps are higher than the south west and more on par with the northern beaches (probably warmer still as it is very built up here in the inner city). I did bring a 10cm tall poinciana down from Brisbane in July and it is leafing out nicely now,so I'm really excited about planting these larger ones!

Adam

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Maybe your climate will limit the size of your Poinciana but around here, I would not recommend planting one any closer than 6 to 10 meters from a building. Not just because of the shallow, aggressive roots but also the canopy. These trees get very wide and planting one that close to your house is a bad idea.

[Tropicgardener]

Hi Andrew,

The few nurseries I have spoken to have all said they can't keep up with Poinciana demand in Sydney. Apparently there has been successful flowering poincianas recently, mainly being the northern beaches and the south-west (where the Vietnamese community have been planting them in droves). They've now sparked a trend of Poinciana plantings.

The nurseries have said that for them to survive well you need to plant them when they are 6feet high or larger. They are bringing down as many Poinciana as the suppliers can provide and the cheapest retail price is $110 for a 100 litre bag. They are bringing down the yellow ones too. It's a great business opportunity - If I was up there I would be sourcing them from retail nurseries and selling them here in the markets - you'd make a killing.

As for mine, my winter temps are higher than the south west and more on par with the northern beaches (probably warmer still as it is very built up here in the inner city). I did bring a 10cm tall poinciana down from Brisbane in July and it is leafing out nicely now,so I'm really excited about planting these larger ones!

Adam

Unfortunately these character trees are dissapearing from the landscape at an alarming rate, mainly due to smaller house blocks and older houseblocks being sub-divided..........Neighbours just recently cut down a large one out the front of their house, I should keep what you said in mind as I can source thousands of seed from around here......I have no doubt that if plenty are planted around Sydney then at least some of them will go on to become adult trees.

[Walter John]

Unfortunately these character trees are dissapearing from the landscape at an alarming rate, mainly due to smaller house blocks and older houseblocks being sub-divided.........

That is so very true. Days of bulky green tree tops at city suburban homes are gone, although, palm trees would fit the bill nicely for small areas one would think.