Delonix in a pot

[Than]

I was wondering if anyone has ever grown Delonix in a pot long term. My climate is not suitable for it to be planted in the ground, so I was wondering if it could grow in a pot and brought indoors in winter. Perhaps kept short with pruning. I guess flowering would be very difficult in this case.

[aztropic]

I've grown them up to 5 gallon size (outdoors). I can tell you that you would not be happy bringing one of these indoors,due to the thousands of tiny leaflets it will drop on your floor as it goes into dormancy every year. Just something to consider... Even little 1 gallon plants can be very messy.

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[hinovak]

I grew one for awhile in a pot, and had to bring it in from the outdoors, they grow super fast, even in a pot if you have warm summers, so you will probably be cutting it back a lot. Think the trick is getting it to flower. A lot of bonsai guys have discussed trying to get them to flower. One of them was talking about beating the plant up a bit with like a rolled up news paper or something, and that could help trigger it to flower next season??!!🤣🤣🤣 no idea if that’s true or not. I lost mine by leaving it in an unheated green house when we had a freak super freeze of -1…but did well for several years.

[hbernstein]

It's probably one of the worst species to try to keep in a pot long-term. seedlings are very fast growing sticks that won't be deterred, no matter how often they are topped, from growing straight up. Root systems are spreading and also fast growing. small plants absolutely won't flower, and besides, flowering is triggered by a dry season and lengthening days. any night time light during bud initiation season inhibits flowering, as evidenced by urban trees near streetlights. 

Beating the saplings to stress them into flowering seems ridiculous; They aren't fruit trees flowering in small pots when young, They want to be big first!

[Silas_Sancona]

Agree w/ other thoughts.. Forget trying to flower these in pots..  Need space to put on size, before they will flower -first-.

That said, of all the Delonix  that could be grown in containers -and flower,  Delonix pumila  would be the best bet since it stays pretty short as - is.. D. florabunda  might also as well in a pot, though it isn't all that showy, flower wise at least, imo..

D. decaryi has done ok ( for me at least ) ...but gets tall / needs to go into the ground.

No clue about the other sps.. D. leucantha, elata, baccal, edule, velutina, ...etc..

As for the " adverse effect from street lights may have  on flowering?  ..From what i see in my own neighborhood / nearby here, that is debatable, though not totally out of the question either..

Nearest specimen sits less than 87 ft from a streetlight that faces it and flowers -consistently, and profusely- every year since it started after we moved here and i noted its presence..  Is the only local RP specimen that i've seen set viable seed as well..

Specimen located near the Police station / Library in Scottsdale is another " surrounded by streetlights / other night time lighting " Royal Poinciana that doesn't seem effected by that factor.

That said, am keeping an eye on the 2nd closest to the house RP though since it sits less than 15ft from an overhead light source.. If it hasn't started to yet, just about old enough that it should start flowering this coming May,  or next year..

Biggest factor i've noted that has an obvious effect on flowering / overall display?  Wet + cool / colder winters   ....is about the only thing that seems to negatively effect the flower display on these, here at least.

[Than]

Interesting info, lots of things I did not know. Sounds like this plant is definitely not for my climate but well, I've got it already, so... I can tell it is very tropical as we haven't seen anything below 45 F yet and yet it has lost most leaves. Indeed the leaves are a pain to clean.

Given that my winters are cool and wet, I guess I won't be seeing any flowers, even if it survives, which is a big IF.

[hbernstein]

On 12/16/2024 at 12:23 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Agree w/ other thoughts.. Forget trying to flower these in pots..  Need space to put on size, before they will flower -first-.

That said, of all the Delonix  that could be grown in containers -and flower,  Delonix pumila  would be the best bet since it stays pretty short as - is.. D. florabunda  might also as well in a pot, though it isn't all that showy, flower wise at least, imo..

D. decaryi has done ok ( for me at least ) ...but gets tall / needs to go into the ground.

No clue about the other sps.. D. leucantha, elata, baccal, edule, velutina, ...etc..

As for the " adverse effect from street lights may have  on flowering?  ..From what i see in my own neighborhood / nearby here, that is debatable, though not totally out of the question either..

Nearest specimen sits less than 87 ft from a streetlight that faces it and flowers -consistently, and profusely- every year since it started after we moved here and i noted its presence..  Is the only local RP specimen that i've seen set viable seed as well..

Specimen located near the Police station / Library in Scottsdale is another " surrounded by streetlights / other night time lighting " Royal Poinciana that doesn't seem effected by that factor.

That said, am keeping an eye on the 2nd closest to the house RP though since it sits less than 15ft from an overhead light source.. If it hasn't started to yet, just about old enough that it should start flowering this coming May,  or next year..

Biggest factor i've noted that has an obvious effect on flowering / overall display?  Wet + cool / colder winters   ....is about the only thing that seems to negatively effect the flower display on these, here at least.

I love D. pumila, but have never figured out how to grow young plants successfully: moistish, dryish, well-drained mix, inorganic succulent mix, full sun, partial shade, I've killed every one.

I wonder if type of streetlight (color temperature or wavelength mix) also affects bud initiation. All I know is that trees in the Miami area that are sited in dark places bloom best.

[Silas_Sancona]

3 minutes ago, hbernstein said:

I love D. pumila, but have never figured out how to grow young plants successfully: moistish, dryish, well-drained mix, inorganic succulent mix, full sun, partial shade, I've killed every one.

I wonder if type of streetlight (color temperature or wavelength mix) also affects bud initiation. All I know is that trees in the Miami area that are sited in dark places bloom best.

Not sure how, but I managed to kill a really nice 5gal D. pumila  i'd brought here when we left FL. 

The one i started from seed i put in a chunky mix of Pumice, Turface MVP,  some grit, and either a handful of compost ..or whatever " organic " stuff i had laying around at the time.. Essentially ignored it and  aside from defoliating, it had no trouble what so ever w/ cooler periods during the cooler / wetter winters here, nor the heat..  In the ground now and hasn't dropped a leaflet so far this winter.  Barely flinched thru last summers nuke fest.   Awaiting to see what it does come spring.

There's -at least- a few bigger specimens growing in a couple of the Bot Gardens in S. Cal. now.



That's a really good question..  City of Chandler upgraded all the streetlights to LED from the old Sodium - based lamps but i haven't noticed any issues w/ either effecting flowering on the specimen closest to the house..

Can't speak for the prominent RP up in Scottsdale, but every year i've checked on it, it is full of flowers.

As dry and ..warm. as it has been / may continue to be thru the rest of winter this year here, imagine this year's display should be better than the past two years  ..which really weren't all that bad either..

[Than]

On 12/16/2024 at 7:23 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Agree w/ other thoughts.. Forget trying to flower these in pots..  Need space to put on size, before they will flower -first-.

That said, of all the Delonix  that could be grown in containers -and flower,  Delonix pumila  would be the best bet since it stays pretty short as - is.. D. florabunda  might also as well in a pot, though it isn't all that showy, flower wise at least, imo..

D. decaryi has done ok ( for me at least ) ...but gets tall / needs to go into the ground.

No clue about the other sps.. D. leucantha, elata, baccal, edule, velutina, ...etc..

As for the " adverse effect from street lights may have  on flowering?  ..From what i see in my own neighborhood / nearby here, that is debatable, though not totally out of the question either..

Nearest specimen sits less than 87 ft from a streetlight that faces it and flowers -consistently, and profusely- every year since it started after we moved here and i noted its presence..  Is the only local RP specimen that i've seen set viable seed as well..

Specimen located near the Police station / Library in Scottsdale is another " surrounded by streetlights / other night time lighting " Royal Poinciana that doesn't seem effected by that factor.

That said, am keeping an eye on the 2nd closest to the house RP though since it sits less than 15ft from an overhead light source.. If it hasn't started to yet, just about old enough that it should start flowering this coming May,  or next year..

Biggest factor i've noted that has an obvious effect on flowering / overall display?  Wet + cool / colder winters   ....is about the only thing that seems to negatively effect the flower display on these, here at least.

Which species are more cold tolerant you think?

[Silas_Sancona]

10 hours ago, Than said:

Which species are more cold tolerant you think?

All seem about equal ..though regia, -seedlings esp-  is a bit quicker to shed it's leaflets than the other two after a couple cold mornings..

All are supposed to go dormant (  ...or at least semi - dormant ) this time of year anyway,  so the " nekked sticks at some point during the winter " look is expected.

Older RP specimens in the neighborhood are still solidly green though..

Haven't brought in any of the seedling RPs and while much thinner than say back in October, they still have some of their leaves atm,  despite enduring a few mornings in the high 30s( F ) so far this winter.

While not as full as during the warmer months, D. decaryi  still has foliage on it,  while D. pumila is still green ...and pushing some newer growth -slowly..  Which is to be expected this time of year.

Keep in mind though, while we've had some cool -ish mornings ( I myself don't consider it " cold " until lows are hovering around 31F, 4+ days in a row ),  it has been bone dry ( ...think were at day 117 w/out rainfall ) and days have been mild to pretty warm, so those factors influence how they're behaving this year, vs say last year / other cool and  wetter winters.




 

[Than]

57 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

All seem about equal ..though regia, -seedlings esp-  is a bit quicker to shed it's leaflets than the other two after a couple cold mornings..

All are supposed to go dormant (  ...or at least semi - dormant ) this time of year anyway,  so the " nekked sticks at some point during the winter " look is expected.

Older RP specimens in the neighborhood are still solidly green though..

Haven't brought in any of the seedling RPs and while much thinner than say back in October, they still have some of their leaves atm,  despite enduring a few mornings in the high 30s( F ) so far this winter.

While not as full as during the warmer months, D. decaryi  still has foliage on it,  while D. pumila is still green ...and pushing some newer growth -slowly..  Which is to be expected this time of year.

Keep in mind though, while we've had some cool -ish mornings ( I myself don't consider it " cold " until lows are hovering around 31F, 4+ days in a row ),  it has been bone dry ( ...think were at day 117 w/out rainfall ) and days have been mild to pretty warm, so those factors influence how they're behaving this year, vs say last year / other cool and  wetter winters.




 

I guess they performed poorly last year then? Do you water at all?

The lowest we have seen here is 45 F and day temperatures go as high as 66F, and yet these drama queens dropped 90% of their leaves. This also goes for Colvillea. I wonder if they will make it. I will cover with a horticultural fleece when temperatures go below 40F but otherwise, unless an unusual cold event falls upon us, they will be left at the balcony. 

I decided I won't do too much to protect any plants. If a plant cannot survive a normal winter here then it might as well die sooner rather than later. 

I water once every 10 days atm and the medium is very light, full of lecca and other grit. We have many rainy days but the rain doesn't reach the pots.

[Silas_Sancona]

32 minutes ago, Than said:

I guess they performed poorly last year then? Do you water at all?

The lowest we have seen here is 45 F and day temperatures go as high as 66F, and yet these drama queens dropped 90% of their leaves. This also goes for Colvillea. I wonder if they will make it. I will cover with a horticultural fleece when temperatures go below 40F but otherwise, unless an unusual cold event falls upon us, they will be left at the balcony. 

I decided I won't do too much to protect any plants. If a plant cannot survive a normal winter here then it might as well die sooner rather than later. 

I water once every 10 days atm and the medium is very light, full of lecca and other grit. We have many rainy days but the rain doesn't reach the pots.

RP seedlings came in last winter... Since they decided to take a proper nap, i think they got watered once or twice in the 6? weeks they were in the sunroom..

This year, i might give them a little water once every 3 weeks, if  it stays as warm as it has been and they hang onto what foliage is still on then thru next month / start of Feb.   Drop what is left foliage -wise, i might only  water lightly once before the start of Feb.

D. decaryi and pumila  have spent most of their winters outside since they got past about 15" in height after germination ..Think they both got " Tip-- nipped ", but didn't notice any other issues w/ the overall cool and fairly wet conditions they experienced last year and in 22 / 23.. 

D. decaryi  gets watered once a month this time of year / Less if were raining..  Grew so fast that i'm trying to slow it down a little until i decide whether or not it will be repotted ( in a deteriorating 3gal now ) or it gets planted at my neighbors this spring.  Skinny, but about 10ft tall atm.

D. pumila is currently closing in on 5ft..  Hoping it's trunk will start to fatten up < maybe attempt a flower or two? >  this year. 

[Than]

8 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

RP seedlings came in last winter... Since they decided to take a proper nap, i think they got watered once or twice in the 6? weeks they were in the sunroom..

This year, i might give them a little water once every 3 weeks, if  it stays as warm as it has been and they hang onto what foliage is still on then thru next month / start of Feb.   Drop what is left foliage -wise, i might only  water lightly once before the start of Feb.

D. decaryi and pumila  have spent most of their winters outside since they got past about 15" in height after germination ..Think they both got " Tip-- nipped ", but didn't notice any other issues w/ the overall cool and fairly wet conditions they experienced last year and in 22 / 23.. 

D. decaryi  gets watered once a month this time of year / Less if were raining..  Grew so fast that i'm trying to slow it down a little until i decide whether or not it will be repotted ( in a deteriorating 3gal now ) or it gets planted at my neighbors this spring.  Skinny, but about 10ft tall atm.

D. pumila is currently closing in on 5ft..  Hoping it's trunk will start to fatten up < maybe attempt a flower or two? >  this year. 

You're lucky your winters seem to be quite dry. Btw Delonix elata's flowers are really impressive and apparently it may be a tad more cold tolerant, although not enough for my climate! 

[Silas_Sancona]

10 hours ago, Than said:

You're lucky your winters seem to be quite dry. Btw Delonix elata's flowers are really impressive and apparently it may be a tad more cold tolerant, although not enough for my climate! 

Never know until you try.  Have seen info suggesting it could work in warmer Med. -type areas, so, ... Reminds me that i need to find seed of that sp. soon.

As far as winters here,  While  not " wet " ..in the same sense as they could be back in CA.,  some, like last year, ...and in 22 / 23, were wet ..and / or cool enough to invite trouble,  while others, like this year -so far at least-,  can swing in the complete opposite direction..

I myself wouldn't have any problem with a majority of future winters mirroring this one / others that were dry and mild / warm.. As long as that results in a wetter summer,  which is when rainfall is critical to 90 -ish % of what grows / can be grown here.




 

[Than]

5 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Never know until you try.  Have seen info suggesting it could work in warmer Med. -type areas, so, ... Reminds me that i need to find seed of that sp. soon.

As far as winters here,  While  not " wet " ..in the same sense as they could be back in CA.,  some, like last year, ...and in 22 / 23, were wet ..and / or cool enough to invite trouble,  while others, like this year -so far at least-,  can swing in the complete opposite direction..

I myself wouldn't have any problem with a majority of future winters mirroring this one / others that were dry and mild / warm.. As long as that results in a wetter summer,  which is when rainfall is critical to 90 -ish % of what grows / can be grown here.




 

Dry winters and wet summers would be perfect for tropicals - and the exact opposite of what actually happens in Medi climates.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Than said:

Dry winters and wet summers would be perfect for tropicals - and the exact opposite of what actually happens in Medi climates.

Guess it just depends on location..

Looking at a map,  if the Middle East is included, the west to east distance across the Sahara Desert is approx 4,800 miles, and roughly 1,740 miles north to south in width..( if travelling from say Tunis in Tunisia, to roughly Rano in Nigeria, where the Sahara starts to merge w/ the wetter areas to the south )

Laid out over the U.S portion of N. America and your travelling the North to South distance from Powderville, ...small town north of Billings, in Montana,  to Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, Mexico..

Travelling west to east? ...you'd have to stretch the U.S. land mass out ~ roughly ~ another 2500 miles into the Atlantic to = the same distance the Sahara spans..

Simply put,  Sahara is a massive barrier of dry land to getting much summer moisture north to ..or north of.. the Medi.. So there at least, i'd imagine the Medi - climate regime is pretty stable / classic, or whatever.  That said, i thought the Medi itself offers up -some deg.- of moisture for summer storms there.

While there may be some similarities,  medi type climates on this side of the globe are fairly localized, and have shifted around much more dramatically in the past ..depending upon what the overall climate / oceans surrounding those areas were / are doing..   No massive, 1700 mile wide barrier keeping summer moisture from the tropics away, -if the Wx patterns at that time of year are favorable for nudging it further north.

 

[meridannight]

I've tried Delonix regia twice and failed with every single one (i.e. I've tried twice with multiple plants). It wasn't the growth rate that was the problem, but the plants just seemed to inexplicably and unfailingly deteriorate and die indoors. I haven't figured out what their problem was yet, but the fact that 100% died within a small period of time tells me it's something universal like water, light, or like. I did have a thrips problem at the time, so I am hoping that was it. I will definitely try again.

I don't have many tropical plants that I can't grow, so I am piqued as to what could have been the issue with these. 

PS. Mine were young seed-grown plants, not mature trees.

[Than]

On 12/21/2024 at 12:24 AM, meridannight said:

I've tried Delonix regia twice and failed with every single one (i.e. I've tried twice with multiple plants). It wasn't the growth rate that was the problem, but the plants just seemed to inexplicably and unfailingly deteriorate and die indoors. I haven't figured out what their problem was yet, but the fact that 100% died within a small period of time tells me it's something universal like water, light, or like. I did have a thrips problem at the time, so I am hoping that was it. I will definitely try again.

I don't have many tropical plants that I can't grow, so I am piqued as to what could have been the issue with these. 

PS. Mine were young seed-grown plants, not mature trees.

Where do you live? Not sure what tropical lair means, sorry, my English no good. Did you keep it indoors all year round? 

I have read that it likes a lot of grit in its medium and also a dry season. Obviously full sun too. Mine is still outdoors, at the balcony right now, has dropped all its leaves. I don't know if it will make it, but it did survive last winter indoors under grow lights. 

[metalfan]

I recently asked this question on another forum and was basically told don;t hold your breath LOL. 

I have a Delonix regia that is about 3 years old from seed, its roughly 8 ft tall, has not branched much. I have run it in and out of the greenhouse every winter, it's in there now.

I had asked if it was possible to keep one in a large, say 35 gallon, tub pruned enough to just keep it in the greenhouse year round and still maybe get flowers. All the replies were negative based on the large root structure they make.

Which is a shame, because I have a flat of seedlings (like, 15-16 plants) about a foot tall that I grew from seeds I picked up off the street under a tree on Anna Marie Island about 2.5 weeks before the last 2 storms, Helene and Milton, really tore it up. 

I know there is no way I can grow them here in my zone (9A) unless they can be kept containerized.

people have recommended Delonix pumila and D. decaryi as more suitable trees for that purpose, but I can't find any I can afford. Its my understanding that both of them are somewhat endangered

[Than]

On 12/22/2024 at 8:40 PM, metalfan said:

I recently asked this question on another forum and was basically told don;t hold your breath LOL. 

I have a Delonix regia that is about 3 years old from seed, its roughly 8 ft tall, has not branched much. I have run it in and out of the greenhouse every winter, it's in there now.

I had asked if it was possible to keep one in a large, say 35 gallon, tub pruned enough to just keep it in the greenhouse year round and still maybe get flowers. All the replies were negative based on the large root structure they make.

Which is a shame, because I have a flat of seedlings (like, 15-16 plants) about a foot tall that I grew from seeds I picked up off the street under a tree on Anna Marie Island about 2.5 weeks before the last 2 storms, Helene and Milton, really tore it up. 

I know there is no way I can grow them here in my zone (9A) unless they can be kept containerized.

people have recommended Delonix pumila and D. decaryi as more suitable trees for that purpose, but I can't find any I can afford. Its my understanding that both of them are somewhat endangered

I see; on the other hand, I have a Kigelia in a pot, a small pot, like 20 inches across and 12 inches high. The tree keeps growing and it is already almost 6 feet tall. Who would've thought?

Another option would be to plant the Delonix in the soil and every winter make a greenhouse around it, with some heating at nights. If you're willing to do this every year and if you find a way to keep it short. Then again it may never flower... sounds like a hopeless situation.

[Silas_Sancona]

On 12/22/2024 at 11:40 AM, metalfan said:

people have recommended Delonix pumila and D. decaryi as more suitable trees for that purpose, but I can't find any I can afford. Its my understanding that both of them are somewhat endangered

D decaryi seed can be found online for reasonable prices ..and are pretty easy to germinate if you follow the pre - germination prep work..   D. pumila as well..

Know of at least a couple nurseries that have offered D pumila seedlings for around 30 bucks  also, so,  ..Definitely ignore the scam artist Ebay sellers trying to charge $150-300.  Rare? yes ..but not that rare.  Those listings = Total rip off only a fool would fall for.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Than said:

I see; on the other hand, I have a Kigelia in a pot, a small pot, like 20 inches across and 12 inches high. The tree keeps growing and it is already almost 6 feet tall. Who would've thought?

Another option would be to plant the Delonix in the soil and every winter make a greenhouse around it, with some heating at nights. If you're willing to do this every year and if you find a way to keep it short. Then again it may never flower... sounds like a hopeless situation.

In the ground?  definitely possible to keep it short -...er, ..and have it flower ( Generally, Royal Poinciana take 7 years to start flowering from seed, regardless of it's height though ).. Have seen lots of specimens no taller than 10ft in height when " Street - View Touring " various areas in both Baja and Sonora Mexico.

Have to find the really impressive ...and super- short... specimens i'd spotted  again.

There was also a specimen in a neighborhood i'd drive to / from work through that had one less less than 12' in height that flowered regularly also.

[Than]

10 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

In the ground?  definitely possible to keep it short -...er, ..and have it flower ( Generally, Royal Poinciana take 7 years to start flowering from seed, regardless of it's height though ).. Have seen lots of specimens no taller than 10ft in height when " Street - View Touring " various areas in both Baja and Sonora Mexico.

Have to find the really impressive ...and super- short... specimens i'd spotted  again.

There was also a specimen in a neighborhood i'd drive to / from work through that had one less less than 12' in height that flowered regularly also.

Wow, 10 feet and flowering sounds awesome. I guess one can cover a 10 feet specimen, albeit with some hard work. Do you think those specimens that you saw were trimmed regularly to stay that short, or were they just young and not tall yet?

[Sega]

I made short video on how I cover my 10ft royal poinciana.  I'm in the Sacramento area. The week I posted this video we had back to back 29f nights and a 30ft night the same week. We've already a couple subfreezing nights in November. It's already dropped all its leaves but I see no dead tips and the top also still looks green.

 

I've only leave the cover on when we have cold clear nights. We've had cloudy, mild nights with some rain for almost two weeks now. Looks like new years week chilly clear overnight skies return and I'm gonna have to cover it again. 

The we

[Than]

29 minutes ago, Sega said:

I made short video on how I cover my 10ft royal poinciana.  I'm in the Sacramento area. The week I posted this video we had back to back 29f nights and a 30ft night the same week. We've already a couple subfreezing nights in November. It's already dropped all its leaves but I see no dead tips and the top also still looks green.

 

I've only leave the cover on when we have cold clear nights. We've had cloudy, mild nights with some rain for almost two weeks now. Looks like new years week chilly clear overnight skies return and I'm gonna have to cover it again. 

The we

Wow, this is dedication! Great job and I hope it works! Is this the first year you're doing this? Why don't you just leave the cover on all winter?

[Sega]

I've done this with with pretty much of all of my tropicals but this is the tallest one I've covered. Two years ago my jacaranda was 8ft tall and I covered it. This delonix was only around 5ft tall when I loosely covered it last winter and it lost about a foot of top growth. For two winters I've been covering at least a dozen trees.

 

I don't keep it covered all winter because it really isn't necessary and mostly importantly we can get really strong wind in the winter.  Last week we were out of town and had a big storm come through. I have a large bougainvillea up against the house and that got blown down from it's trellis that's how strong the winds were. Two years ago I used 8ft long 2x4s to build a structure for the jacaranda tree and that alone without the frost blankets over it got blown over multiple times. This one being even taller and flimsier would easily blow over during one of our winter pineapple express storms. Next winter I won't be covering it anymore. I might still wrap the trunk in Christmas lights. 

[Than]

4 hours ago, Sega said:

I've done this with with pretty much of all of my tropicals but this is the tallest one I've covered. Two years ago my jacaranda was 8ft tall and I covered it. This delonix was only around 5ft tall when I loosely covered it last winter and it lost about a foot of top growth. For two winters I've been covering at least a dozen trees.

 

I don't keep it covered all winter because it really isn't necessary and mostly importantly we can get really strong wind in the winter.  Last week we were out of town and had a big storm come through. I have a large bougainvillea up against the house and that got blown down from it's trellis that's how strong the winds were. Two years ago I used 8ft long 2x4s to build a structure for the jacaranda tree and that alone without the frost blankets over it got blown over multiple times. This one being even taller and flimsier would easily blow over during one of our winter pineapple express storms. Next winter I won't be covering it anymore. I might still wrap the trunk in Christmas lights. 

Oh so you don't prune your Delonix, it's just still young.

I used to have strong winds where I used to live and from my experience, their effect can be detrimental in the winter. I honestly believe I lost some plants to the cold wind, and not the cold temperature per se.

Keep us updated about your delonix, and let us know if it blooms please! Good luck

[Silas_Sancona]

11 hours ago, Than said:

Wow, 10 feet and flowering sounds awesome. I guess one can cover a 10 feet specimen, albeit with some hard work. Do you think those specimens that you saw were trimmed regularly to stay that short, or were they just young and not tall yet?

Certainly possible some were / are trimmed, but keep in mind Baja, even the southern half, is a very dry region...  So unless planted where they receive extra water during the growing season, many specimens will stay short, esp. any planted in sidewalk cutouts, and / or street islands.

Same idea applies across the Gulf in Sonora proper..  Have to travel further south in Sinaloa before you'll see a higher %' age of taller vs. shorter specimens.  Even down there, have noted plenty of " shorties "

Most of the RPs i've noted here so far lean fairly short compared to really tall as well.

Actually prefer the short and gnarled / contorted,  FAT - trunked look over tall and kind of thin / thin -ish specimens i'd see in FL.

A few " intermediate " - sized specimens found  ..while i continue trying to relocate the really small ones again. 

Note that all are producing seed, ...even the skinny one in screen shot #3.  Screen grabs from Todos Santos, BCS





Favorite FAT Royal Poinciana found so far... Wide View.


Zoomed in / cleaned up a little..  Would love to look out the front window at a specimen like this in my yard.




Far left to right:  Cassia fistula,   Possibly Cordia dodecandra ( ..or a Mahoe ..or.... ) < center >,  Skinny ( but short ) Royal poinciana ..w/ pods danglin'


Also note the Cassia fistula ..full of pods, on the far left of one of the shots.. Another one of those " tropical " trees some assume won't reproduce in dry climates doing exactly the opposite of such assumptions.

[Than]

9 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Certainly possible some were / are trimmed, but keep in mind Baja, even the southern half, is a very dry region...  So unless planted where they receive extra water during the growing season, many specimens will stay short, esp. any planted in sidewalk cutouts, and / or street islands.

Same idea applies across the Gulf in Sonora proper..  Have to travel further south in Sinaloa before you'll see a higher %' age of taller vs. shorter specimens.  Even down there, have noted plenty of " shorties "

Most of the RPs i've noted here so far lean fairly short compared to really tall as well.

Actually prefer the short and gnarled / contorted,  FAT - trunked look over tall and kind of thin / thin -ish specimens i'd see in FL.

A few " intermediate " - sized specimens found  ..while i continue trying to relocate the really small ones again. 

Note that all are producing seed, ...even the skinny one in screen shot #3.  Screen grabs from Todos Santos, BCS





Favorite FAT Royal Poinciana found so far... Wide View.


Zoomed in / cleaned up a little..  Would love to look out the front window at a specimen like this in my yard.




Far left to right:  Cassia fistula,   Possibly Cordia dodecandra ( ..or a Mahoe ..or.... ) < center >,  Skinny ( but short ) Royal poinciana ..w/ pods danglin'


Also note the Cassia fistula ..full of pods, on the far left of one of the shots.. Another one of those " tropical " trees some assume won't reproduce in dry climates doing exactly the opposite of such assumptions.

Another thing I notice is how close they are to buildings and sidewalks. They don't seem to cause any harm despite their big root system.

[Silas_Sancona]

16 minutes ago, Than said:

Another thing I notice is how close they are to buildings and sidewalks. They don't seem to cause any harm despite their big root system.

It's an interesting observation... Can't speak for specimens planted in more developed areas but in older areas located further away from the " tourist-y " areas, you don't really see too many sidewalks or paved roads, which takes away some deg. of physical barriers for roots to maneuver around ..or through..

Overall Geology of Baja itself  may help too in that soil in a lot of areas is pretty sandy / gravely ..and quite deep, allowing any water to quickly penetrate, thus encouraging deeper rooting, rather than a lot of the roots hovering closer to the surface..

..A theory anyway..  Have come across surprisingly healthy specimens of other trees i'd not have thought would be able to grow in such a dry region..

[Than]

11 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

It's an interesting observation... Can't speak for specimens planted in more developed areas but in older areas located further away from the " tourist-y " areas, you don't really see too many sidewalks or paved roads, which takes away some deg. of physical barriers for roots to maneuver around ..or through..

Overall Geology of Baja itself  may help too in that soil in a lot of areas is pretty sandy / gravely ..and quite deep, allowing any water to quickly penetrate, thus encouraging deeper rooting, rather than a lot of the roots hovering closer to the surface..

..A theory anyway..  Have come across surprisingly healthy specimens of other trees i'd not have thought would be able to grow in such a dry region..

Has anyone ever tried to plant a tree in a bottomless barrel just to stop the roots from spreading? I bet it won't be healthy for the plant..

[Silas_Sancona]

13 minutes ago, Than said:

Has anyone ever tried to plant a tree in a bottomless barrel just to stop the roots from spreading? I bet it won't be healthy for the plant..

Unless the sides of the pot extend 3 or 4+ft deep, roots will just reach under / extend beyond it, ...though perhaps not as close to the surface ...compared to not having some type of barrier present to direct them downward before they can expand outward...

For many trees, watering correctly, ...say a deep soak, once a month,  ...from the start,  also helps encourage the roots to extend deeper into the soil,  vs  light  and/or  constant watering  ..which promotes a root system that often stays closer to the soil surface ..where consistent moisture is..

...Is why a majority of the root system of some desert natives here can reach 40 - 200ft deep  ..and why those trees are rarely blown over during storms   ..specimens that are grown " hard " and not babied  at least.

Obviously, there are exceptions, like many Ficus,  whose roots tend to stay closer to the surface, but spread out over a massive area to be able to access the ideal amount of moisture for proper growth.

That said, you can find some native Ficus here  perfectly happy  ( ...and healthy ) growing on hot cliff faces where you'd wonder where they were able to find -any- moisture    ..yet they do.   Roots likely extend several dozen feet down between cracks in the rocks to access what moisture exists well below the surface.

[Silas_Sancona]

Not one of the specimens i'd found before, but,  a pretty good example of a really short RP   ...and in a concrete planter box too...

Found in San Felipe, BCN ( Baja California Norte )

Wide angle




Zoomed in a bit...

[Than]

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Not one of the specimens i'd found before, but,  a pretty good example of a really short RP   ...and in a concrete planter box too...

Found in San Felipe, BCN ( Baja California Norte )

Wide angle




Zoomed in a bit...

This is great! It shouldn't be too tough to protect this tree in winter. I wonder how Delonix responds to pruning..

[hbernstein]

Pruning D. regia is commonly necessary in S. Florida. They are the WORST trees to prune. They never, ever callous over properly. Every large tree has old branch breaks or pruning cuts that provide an entry point for moisture and pathogens. Every large tree has a degree of trunk rot, usually not visible until the dark staining is revealed after the tree breaks up in a storm. That said, individuals can exist and even thrive for many years before breaking. Just ask any local arborist.