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Royal Poinciana
Delonix regia
-27.5087, 153.018
Field Notes
Description:
Delonix regia is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. It's a semi deciduous tree – shedding the old leaves in spring, but new ones follow immediately, so it's never without foliage. In many tropical parts of the world it is grown as an ornamental tree and in English it is given the name Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant. It is also one of several trees known as Flame tree, and can reach a maximum height of 12 meters. The Royal Poinciana is found in Madagascar's dry deciduous forests. In the wild it is endangered, but it is widely cultivated elsewhere.
Habitat:
Although not a native Australian tree, it has adapted extremely well to Australian conditions as it requires a tropical or near-tropical climate, but can also tolerate drought and salty conditions. It is very widely grown in Northern Australia (as far south as South east Queensland, although in sheltered micro climates it can be successfully grown in some areas of Sydney). Brisbane enjoys a subtropical climate which the Poincianas love.
Notes:
This particular specimen is a large tree and affords this backyard vast amounts of shade which, in the summer months, is most welcome. I'll get more photos closer to summer, as the tree will then be in full bloom. Because they're a legume (I didn't know that), they produce seed pods which look like giant beans. Poincianas are a very common sight in most suburbs, particularly in the older established ones where Poincianas, which were planted many years ago, are quite large. In Brisbane, the bright orange flowers herald the coming of summer. They also signal the start of the storm season.
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