Poinciana Disappointment

[happ]

Another year, another bummer   What about Phoenix/Mesa/Tucson?

Can't even count on "regia" for much needed shade since it just started to leaf  

Floridians, calling out for photos of the most beautiful tree  :cool:

[DoomsDave]

Happ, they will flower, I've seen it me own eyes, lad, BUT not like in So Flo . . .

dave

[Eric in Orlando]

Here's one at Leu Garden. This specimen I grew from a seed from a tree on Sanibel Island. I collected the seed in June, 1985. It was grown in a container until it was planted out in summer 1993. It flowered for the first time last summer, very lightly. It is flowering more heavily this year but not the incredible sight where the tree is covered in color. Also, the flowers are more of an orange instead of red. I will have to get out and check to see if any are flowering around town.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/leu4510....76

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/leu4510....29

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/leu4510....30

[bubba]

The Royal Poincianna season here in South Florida is about over. We had a windy and cooler than normal May and it was not as spectacular as in some years. Old Floridians used to refer to it as the "Yankee Tree" because they had all left before it bloomed in May and therefore missed it's beauty. I am working hard to learn how to photograph and post on the board so I can show some of this stuff. Besides Dyslexia, I am also technology challenged.

[happ]

Thanks for the photos Eric

I did not know how long it takes before Delonix begins to flower.  My tree is only 4-5 years old but already 15' tall.  Guess I'll need to wait many more years for flowering, if at all.

It seems to be much slower leafing out this year.  It was a bit cooler than normal in May in California also, and June is typically mild near the coast.

[Fouquieria]

Happ,

At 15 feet tall, at least you've got some size to yours so you can really call it a tree now.  Mine is about four years old and still only about six feet tall and mostly still single branched.

Supposedly, it's a grafted yellow one.  I got it from Puerto Rico.

-Ron-

[happ]

Good luck with your poinciana, Ron.  I guess its a matter of time since some delonix regia flower in Orange county.  The low desert seems to be the most favorable area in California for poinciana & have seen some photos of impressive trees around Phoenix.

It seems particularly slow even in leaf growth this year but soaring ginger & heliconia are fighting the tree for space, so that may be the reason.  I've been counting on the shade of delonix to protect a few chamaedorea tepejilote before it gets too hot.

[LJG]

I find it interesting it has even made it to that size in SoCal. From what I have gathered they simply can not survive here long term. They can handle freeze down to the low 20s from what I have heard but the issue is they need to be defoliated and dormant by the time this happens. So this is why they do fine in FL. Late season freezes. In SoCal we get them earlier so the tree has not went dormant so the freeze knocks it back or kills it. I believe the desert is the same, late season freezes.  Not sure if this is all true, but the sources I would consider reliable.

Happ, do you have pics of the tree? It is impressive to think there is a 15 foot Delonix in SoCal. Has anyone else seen one even close to that size? Ron, how did yours take the freeze?

PS - I feel your pain on hoping for a flowering tree to flower and it doesn't. I have a Calodendrum capense I got in a 15 gallon. It has went through its third summer since I planted it. It must be 5 - 6 years old by now. It is about 10 feet tall and would have bet money it was going to flower this spring. But it did not. Hopefully next year.

[doubravsky]

I have a little 2 foot baby that I figured would be a goner after this winter... temp 42 and below, but it is coming back just fine.

[palmarazzi]

i have a caesalpinia gilliesii which looks beautiful year after year and produces bountiful clusters of yellow flowers with long red stamens. mine has only grown to 8 feet and 5 feet wide or so, it flowers from early spring through summer. in my experience it is not xeric and needs lots of water to flower.

it seems to be quite hardy as well, and took this winter with no problems. i had several weeks of below freezing temps.

[happ]

(LJG @ Jun. 17 2007,01:35)

QUOTE

I find it interesting it has even made it to that size in SoCal. From what I have gathered they simply can not survive here long term. They can handle freeze down to the low 20s from what I have heard but the issue is they need to be defoliated and dormant by the time this happens. So this is why they do fine in FL. Late season freezes. In SoCal we get them earlier so the tree has not went dormant so the freeze knocks it back or kills it. I believe the desert is the same, late season freezes.  Not sure if this is all true, but the sources I would consider reliable.

Happ, do you have pics of the tree? It is impressive to think there is a 15 foot Delonix in SoCal. Has anyone else seen one even close to that size? Ron, how did yours take the freeze?

PS - I feel your pain on hoping for a flowering tree to flower and it doesn't. I have a Calodendrum capense I got in a 15 gallon. It has went through its third summer since I planted it. It must be 5 - 6 years old by now. It is about 10 feet tall and would have bet money it was going to flower this spring. But it did not. Hopefully next year.

Len

Thanks for the feedback   I haven't experienced frost since 1990 [even this past January only bottomed out at 37F].

I never thought growing poinciana was a problem for gardeners in mild areas but getting them to flower is the hard part.  Maybe its just a matter of maturity.

I have photos of the tree from last summer but will post updates once its fully in leaf. Got to cut back the ginger away from the delonix.

[palmarazzi]

pasadena never got below 37? wow.

[happ]

(palmarazzi @ Jun. 17 2007,22:25)

QUOTE

pasadena never got below 37? wow.

I'm not sure what Pasadena reported during the Jan freeze but I imagine close to or below freezing.  My place is above in the foothills where warmer micro-climates exist.

There were hilltop stations recording minimums above 40F thru-out the event but many low-lying areas were hit hard.  For example, I understand the Huntington observed several nights below freezing.  

[LJG]

I can't believe you hit only 37 degrees. You are so lucky with what you can grow! I am in a great area too but still hit 28.

[Tropicalken]

I'm sure your Delonix will eventually bloom. I live in your immediate area and have seen several in bloom nearby.  There are two growing on Santa Anita Ave. in Arcadia which are probably about the size of yours. They may have been cut back by frost this winter, but I have not checked them out.  There was a larger one near the Home Depot in Duarte that bloomed quite well also. The largest one in our area is on Montebello Blvd. in Montebello. A friend of mine who is always looking for these trees, drove me by it a couple of weeks ago. The tree is , I would guess, 25ft. high and as wide. It was just starting to leaf out at the time, but it must have bloomed quite well last year. It was covered with seed pods. I don't have the addresses for these trees, but perhaps could give you more information if I ask my friend. If you happen to drive on Montebello Blvd. looking for this tree, it is in a yard of a home on the south side of the street. The home may actually be on a side street, but the tree is very visible on Montebello Blvd. The yard has two very large Thevetia thevioides trees in bloom next to the Delonix.

[epicure3]

Dave, down in La Habra ince posted a picture of a medium sized tree in OC that was in flower so you should see soemthing at some point I would think.

[palmarazzi]

(happ @ Jun. 18 2007,00:17)

QUOTE

(palmarazzi @ Jun. 17 2007,22:25)

QUOTE

pasadena never got below 37? wow.

I'm not sure what Pasadena reported during the Jan freeze but I imagine close to or below freezing.  My place is above in the foothills where warmer micro-climates exist.

There were hilltop stations recording minimums above 40F thru-out the event but many low-lying areas were hit hard.  For example, I understand the Huntington observed several nights below freezing.  

i'm in beverly hills-hills and i had a few days @ 27. nice micro-climate you have there.

[happ]

(Tropicalken @ Jun. 18 2007,00:33)

QUOTE

I'm sure your Delonix will eventually bloom. I live in your immediate area and have seen several in bloom nearby.  There are two growing on Santa Anita Ave. in Arcadia which are probably about the size of yours. They may have been cut back by frost this winter, but I have not checked them out.  There was a larger one near the Home Depot in Duarte that bloomed quite well also. The largest one in our area is on Montebello Blvd. in Montebello. A friend of mine who is always looking for these trees, drove me by it a couple of weeks ago. The tree is , I would guess, 25ft. high and as wide. It was just starting to leaf out at the time, but it must have bloomed quite well last year. It was covered with seed pods. I don't have the addresses for these trees, but perhaps could give you more information if I ask my friend. If you happen to drive on Montebello Blvd. looking for this tree, it is in a yard of a home on the south side of the street. The home may actually be on a side street, but the tree is very visible on Montebello Blvd. The yard has two very large Thevetia thevioides trees in bloom next to the Delonix.

Ken

Thanks for the 'heads up' about the nearby poincianas    I may be having dinner at the Santa Anita mall this weekend and will definitely be on the outlook for these flowering beauties.  If they can flower down in the San Gabriel valley than I hope my tree will do likewise.  Now, more than ever, I'll clear out overgrown ginger/heliconia around the delonix  

  Quote

i'm in beverly hills-hills and i had a few days @ 27. nice micro-climate you have there.

JR

I'm surprised you experienced below freezing temps last Jan since official readings in the LA basin were above freezing.  Foothills, in particular, manage to stay above the coldest air.  Are you in a ravine/canyon?

Hope my 'regia' looks like this one someday  

[DoomsDave]

(happ @ Jun. 18 2007,00:17)

QUOTE

(palmarazzi @ Jun. 17 2007,22:25)

QUOTE

pasadena never got below 37? wow.

I'm not sure what Pasadena reported during the Jan freeze but I imagine close to or below freezing.  My place is above in the foothills where warmer micro-climates exist.

There were hilltop stations recording minimums above 40F thru-out the event but many low-lying areas were hit hard.  For example, I understand the Huntington observed several nights below freezing.  

The Big H hit about 17 FF for a number of days in a row.  I was there about a week later for a PSSC meeting, and the Encephalartos and Caryota gigas were chocolated, and oleanders got frozen.

That's a HARD hit . . .

dave

[MattyB]

Gary LeVine has a nice sized one growing in the foothills of Escondido.  Maybe we can hit him up for a pic?  Breaker breaker 1-9....calling Gary....

[paulgila]

i bought one from a local nursery last december & in january i wisely left it outside.it was defoliated & slapped around by he cold but now is making a full recovery.

[palmarazzi]

(happ @ Jun. 19 2007,01:34)

QUOTE

  Quote

i'm in beverly hills-hills and i had a few days @ 27. nice micro-climate you have there.

JR

I'm surprised you experienced below freezing temps last Jan since official readings in the LA basin were above freezing.  Foothills, in particular, manage to stay above the coldest air.  Are you in a ravine/canyon?

yeah, i'm in hollywood hills. in a sort of plateau if you want to call it that. i'm near cold water canyon & mulholland dr in what is referred to as east beverly hills. do you know the area?  

i'll check the accuracy of my thermometer, however i'm 90% it got that low. i even lost a few treasured things that i planted when i moved here. a sentimental loss.

[happ]

(palmarazzi @ Jun. 19 2007,14:54)

QUOTE

(happ @ Jun. 19 2007,01:34)

QUOTE

  Quote

i'm in beverly hills-hills and i had a few days @ 27. nice micro-climate you have there.

JR

I'm surprised you experienced below freezing temps last Jan since official readings in the LA basin were above freezing.  Foothills, in particular, manage to stay above the coldest air.  Are you in a ravine/canyon?

yeah, i'm in hollywood hills. in a sort of plateau if you want to call it that. i'm near cold water canyon & mulholland dr in what is referred to as east beverly hills. do you know the area?  

i'll check the accuracy of my thermometer, however i'm 90% it got that low. i even lost a few treasured things that i planted when i moved here. a sentimental loss.

JR

Thanks for posting your location.  An area viewed by many as "idealic Los Angeles"  :cool:  

Realizing you live in the Hollywood Hills helps understand your climate.

That's why I find it hard to conceive that you are in USDA 9 when USDA 11 is all around you.  Didn't think it even existed in coastal SoCal.  Communication with various local weather observers confirms that there are pockets that get much colder readings than most of metro LA [ie Woodland Hills/Pierce College/Sepulveda river basin regularly record the coldest minimums but also the hottest maximums, even in winter   ].

The Jan freeze was the TOPIC for the weather nerd community.  In-fact, people associated with the American Meteorological society-LA chapter were hoping for even colder readings.  For some it was there first "hands-on" study of frost  :laugh:  Of-course, my enthusiasm for the Arctic invasion was tempered by my concern for tender trees.  

Hollywood Hills rise to over 2000' so it is quite conceivable that frost collected in high vulnerable terrain.  There were ugly reminders of sub-freezing temps just 100-200' below my house    Little if any  frost [ie. dew points below 20%] but damage quite evident.

  Quote

The Big H hit about 17 FF for a number of days in a row.  I was there about a week later for a PSSC meeting, and the Encephalartos and Caryota gigas were chocolated, and oleanders got frozen.

That's a HARD hit . . .

dave

Dave, where did you find this info [LATimes?].  I let my Huntington membership drop a few years ago.  It would be great to get the horticulturist’s report on damage to palms.  Huntington sits on a slight mesa in the lowest elevation of Pasadena [except Arroyo Seco] but 50' above San Marino.  The slope provides protection, most of the time but not always  

[palmarazzi]

being specific because i know the forum prefers it, i am in beverly park. i prefer not to use that name but that’s exactly my location/division. hope it helps.

i checked with neighbors and they definitely remember a few nights in the high 20's. i think we were all a little shell-shocked.

i was beginning to question my thermometer's accuracy, which is supposed to be quite high (reason i bought it). it's one of those digital jobs and i've got probes all over the property so i can remotely see fluctuations in temp.

we’ve never had winter temps so low, in fact this spring we’ve had repeated nights in the mid 50’s. typically it’s mid 60’s. there is something defiantly different which is why i originally, jokingly put my zone as 8.

i’m fascinated by meteorology but don’t know enough to speculate on the sudden changes. i just hope it doesn’t stay this way.

[happ]

(palmarazzi @ Jun. 19 2007,23:10)

QUOTE

being specific because i know the forum prefers it, i am in beverly park. i prefer not to use that name but that’s exactly my location/division. hope it helps.

i checked with neighbors and they definitely remember a few nights in the high 20's. i think we were all a little shell-shocked.

i was beginning to question my thermometer's accuracy, which is supposed to be quite high (reason i bought it). it's one of those digital jobs and i've got probes all over the property so i can remotely see fluctuations in temp.

we’ve never had winter temps so low, in fact this spring we’ve had repeated nights in the mid 50’s. typically it’s mid 60’s. there is something defiantly different which is why i originally, jokingly put my zone as 8.

i’m fascinated by meteorology but don’t know enough to speculate on the sudden changes. i just hope it doesn’t stay this way.

JR

Your thermometer is probably accurate, esp if you have several probes.  And points out the diversity of micro-climates in Los Angeles.  Believe I am spared frost due to several factors [ie. south-facing hilltop w/ relatively steep slopes].  It was hard viewing the photos of those who were smacked hard by the freeze    Did you take photos?

Agree that Spring has been cooler than normal since April.  Here's the data from my station:

March : Ave Hi: 76F/Normal: 73F Ave Min: 54F/Norm: 53F

April : Ave Hi: 73F/Norm: 76 Ave Min: 53F/Norm: 56F

May: Ave Hi: 75F/Norm: 78 Ave Min: 57F/Norm 59F

So far this month has also been cooler than normal up until a week ago.  We may experience some high temps this week and humidity dangerously low  

[palmarazzi]

(happ @ Jun. 20 2007,00:30)

QUOTE

Did you take photos?

unfortunately no, i spent most of the time traveling.

[SubTropicRay]

Almost live from Tampa

[happ]

(Ray, Tampa @ Jun. 20 2007,21:39)

QUOTE

Almost live from Tampa

Mucho bonita Ray  

BTW, how long does poinciana flower?

[SubTropicRay]

Happ,

The peak June bloom probably lasts close to a month.  It produces less flashy outbursts of color all summer long.

Ray

[JeffreyApolloBeach]

I went to Naples, FL this weekend with the wife to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary.  This tree was everywhere, and the blooms were awesome!! Some house with 3 trees in the front made an incredible sight.  

A street that crosses with 5th Ave South (area with shops) has Royal Poinciana planted on both side of the street and in the medium, so you are driving underneath a canopy of red flowers!!!

Also, saw two trees with what looked like orange flowers instead of red.  I know there is a yellow version of the Royal Poinciana, but don't know of the orange version.

Oh, sorry that I don't have any pictures, but promised the wife I would keep the plant talk to a minimum during our getaway!!

Jeffrey

Apollo Beach, FL

zone 9b/10a

[happ]

Ray/Jeffrey

Do poincianas have jacaranda characteristics? [ie. flowers that ooze sap on cars and walkways  

Have a potted jacaranda now but once I lived in El Sereno where streets are lined with these trees.  Creates a big mess on cars.

See the auto wrapped in a cover that sits under jacaranda?

[bubba]

Happ, My Poincianna Disappointment is that I still have not learned to post pictures on this board to show you some rather incredible shots.The Poincianna flowers are dry and are only blown off the tree with rain or wind. I could have shown you numerous shots identical to the picture you posted and in fact numerous shots of trees far larger than your post in full flower.