PlantFiles: Royal Poinciana, Flamboyant Tree, Flame
Tree, Peacock Flower, Gulmohar, Delonix regia
following regions:
San Diego, California Big Pine Key, Florida Boca Raton, Florida Bonita Springs, Florida Bradenton, Florida Cape Coral, Florida Fort Lauderdale, Florida Hollywood, Florida Jupiter, Florida Lake Panasoffkee, Florida Longwood, Florida Loxahatchee, Florida Miami, Florida Naples, Florida Ocoee, Florida Port Charlotte, Florida Saint James City, Florida Saint Petersburg, Florida Tampa, Florida Tarpon Springs, Florida Vero Beach, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida Winter Park, Florida Zephyrhills, Florida Honomu, Hawaii Kihei, Hawaii San Juan, Puerto Rico Vieques, Puerto Rico Brownsville, Texas Corpus Christi, Texas East Bernard, Texas Galveston, Texas Hitchcock, Texas Houston, Texas Missouri City, Texas and other tropical areas and arid zones.
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1) Choose a wide, shallow planting
container to accommodate the
wide-spreading root system of the
royal Poinciana. Be sure to select
a container with several drainage
holes to promote a well-drained
loam.
2) Incorporate equal amounts of
coarse sand, nutrient-rich potting
soil and organic compost, such as
pine bark. Add a pinch of pure
sphagnum moss to the mixture to
increase the mixture's water
retention. Add just a small amount
of moss as it will grow throughout
the soil in time.
3) Cover each of the potting
container's drainage holes with
mesh and fill the bottom third of the
container with soil. Center the royal
Poinciana in the container and fill
the remaining two thirds of the
container with your soil mixture.
4) Irrigate the newly potted
Poinciana with tepid water to
promote a good establishment.
Water the bonsai evenly and
thoroughly until the excess drains
from the holes.
5) Irrigate this bonsai deeply and
infrequently to provide a slightly
dry environment. Check the loam's
moisture levels daily and water
your Poinciana bonsai when the
soil begins to feel dry. Never allow
this bonsai to dry out completely
and avoid overwatering the
Poinciana, to prevent root rot.
6) Feed your Poinciana bonsai in
the early spring, just as the
growing season begins. Use a
well-balanced, slow-release
fertilizer such as an 8-8-8 or
10-10-10 combination. Feed the
bonsai again in midsummer. Avoid
heavy fertilization as it will reduce
the number of blooms in order to
produce heavier foliage. Allow the
young Poinciana bonsai as long as
five years to produce its first
blooms
7) Prune this vigorous grower to
maintain its health and shape.
Hard prune this bonsai in the early
spring just before the growing
season begins. Remove dead,
damaged and wilted branches and
stems. Trim back branches to
promote the desired shape.
8) Prune the bonsai several times
throughout the growing season.
Thin the interior branches and
stems to increase light penetration
and air circulation throughout the
tree. Prune back vigorous growing
branches to maintain shape.
Always use sharp, sterile pruning
shears.
9) Repot the Poinciana bonsai
annually. Root prune this bonsai
during the process. Use sharp,
sterile shears to trim back about a
third of the root system. Remove
dead and wilted roots before
healthy ones. Trim deadened roots
back to the root mass. Repot the
Poinciana bonsai in fresh soil with
a clean container.
The royal Poinciana, or Delonix
regia, comes with many names.
Known as the flame tree, fire
tree and flamboyant tree, the
royal Poinciana produces large,
fiery red or golden blooms that
blossom from spring through
summer. This fast-growing,
deciduous tree develops fern
like foliage and takes on a
natural umbrella shape. Its
tolerance to poor soils and
hard pruning make it an
excellent selection for bonsai.
How to grow a Royal Poinciana as a Bonsai
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*** THIS TREE IS SUITABLE FOR BONSAI !!! ***
Flamboyant Tree Information