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Delonix regia
Fabaceae FAMILY Vulnerable

Delonix regia

Delonix regia

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthFast

A plant of low to medium elevations in the moist tropics, being found at elevations from sea level to 2,000 metres[1]. It grows in areas where the mean annual temperature ranges from 14 - 26°c, and the mean annual rainfall is over 700 mm[1]. It can succeed in areas with both high and scanty rainfall[1]. Trees can grow at higher altitudes than recommended, but flowering becomes erratic[1]. The tree demands light and grows weakly and sparsely under shade[1]. The species seems to tolerate many types of soils from clay to sandy, but it prefers sandy soils[1]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[2]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[3]. The trees have shallow root systems and the wood is weak; they are therefore liable to being uprooted during strong storms and broken by strong winds, and so are best planted in sheltered positions[1]. There are some concerns that the plant might become invasive in some of the areas where it is cultivated[4]. Trees starts flowering in their 4th or 5th years[1] In moist places, the tree begins to develop young foliage before the flowering season and does not flower prolifically. It also flowers less prolifically on the shady sites than on the sunny sites[1]. Planting of trees on dry sites therefore promotes copious flowering[1]. In regions with heavy rainfall, every tree seems to follow its own rhythm of shedding of leaves and flowering[1]. The tree has a superficial, shallow rooting system, and competes successfully with the neighbouring shrubs and flowering plants, rendering bare the ground under its canopy[1]. It should therefore be planted away from other plants in the gardens[1]. The surface root system can become a problem, sometimes breaking sidewalks and walls[1]. Natural regeneration is common[1]. Young plants are not fire resistant and should be protected from grazing[1]. A fast growing tree, it responds well to pollarding[1]. Careful pruning will achieve good crown form[1].

Propagation

Seed - has a hard, woody testa and takes a long time to germinate. It may lie for 2 - 3 years in the soil without germinating and usually take 12 - 349 days to germinate[1]. To break this dormancy the seed needs to be scarified by carefully abrading a small part of the seed coat, being careful not to damage the embryo[1]. Alternatively, pour a small quantity of almost boiling water over the seed, making sure it cools down before the seed is cooked, then soak the seed for 12 - 24 hours in warm water prior to sowing. After treated seeds are sown in unshaded nursery beds, they germinate within 5 - 10 days, with a germination rate of up to 90%[1]. Subsequent growth in the nursery is quite fast[1]. Seedlings watered and weeded regularly are planted out in the rainy season, with a total time required in the nursery being 3 - 5 months[1]. Keeping the plants for more than 9 months is not desirable, as they become too tall to handle, but seedlings can be transplanted even when 20 - 25 cm tall[1]. Seeds can be stored for a long time if insect attack is avoided, which can be done by adding ash to the seeds[1]. Seed storage behaviour is orthodox and a germination rate of 47% has been recorded after 9 years of storage at room temperature; with no loss in viability following 4 years of storage[1]. Trees can also be propagated from branch cuttings[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Delonix+regia>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  2. [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  3. [3]Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida — University of Florida · http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ ↩︎PDF fact sheets on over 500 shrubs.
  4. [4]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
  5. [5]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  6. [6]Trees Commonly Cultivated in SE Asia — Jensen. M. · FAO Regional Office, Bangkok. · 1999 · ISBN 974-89377-5-5 ↩︎
  7. [7]Tropical Tree Seed Manual — Vosso. J. Editor. · USDA Forest Service. · 2002 · http://www.rngr.net/Publications/ttsm ↩︎An extremely good guide, it can also be downloaded in its entirety from the address shown above.
  8. [8]Chemical and Nutritional Compositions of Flame of Forest (Delonix regia) Seeds and Seed Oil — Oyedeji O.A.;Azeez L.A.; and Osifade B.G. · 2017 · http://journals.sabinet.co.za/sajchem/ ↩︎
  9. [9]Digital Compendium of Forestry Species of Cambodia — www.digitalspecies.blogspot.com; Phnom Penh · 2008 · http://www.digitalspecies.blogspot.com ↩︎A very detailed booklet, produced in PDF format on the internet, giving information on around 100 species of trees.
  10. [10]Delonix regia Leaf Extract (DRLE): A Potential Therapeutic Agent for Cardioprotection — Lung-Shuo Wang; Chun-Ting Lee; Wei-Lieh Su; Shih-Che Huang; · 2016 · ISBN doi:10.1371/journ ↩︎
  11. [11]Analgesic Activity of the Methanol Leaf Extract of Delonix Regia — Ezeja M.I.; Ezeigbo I.I.; Madubuike K.G. and Ekpe I.J. · 2012 ↩︎
  12. [12]Antimicrobial Coumarin Derivative from Delonix regia — Ragasa C.Y.; Hofilena J.G. · 2011 ↩︎