The Royal Poinciana

The Royal Poinciana trees are right now in full bloom all over The Bahamas. Everywhere is ablaze with the fiery colours that range from scarlet to red orange flowers. This tree only blooms once per year beginning in June and lasting until the end of July. It's my favourite tree. There is also a very rare Gold Poinciana too.

The Royal Poinciana has been described as the most colourful tree in the world. The tree's vivid red/orange flowers and bright green foliage in any case make it an exceptionally striking sight.

The Royal Poinciana is native to Madagascar, where it is found in the West Malagasy forest. In the wild it is endangered, but it is widely cultivated elsewhere. In addition to its ornamental value, it is also a useful shade tree in tropical conditions, because it usually grows to a modest height (typically around 5 m, though it can reach as high as 12 m) but spreads widely, and its dense foliage provides full shade. In areas with a marked dry season, it sheds its leaves during the drought, but in other areas it is virtually evergreen.

The flowers are large, with four spreading scarlet or orange-red petals up to 8 cm long, and a fifth upright petal called the standard, which is slightly larger and spotted with yellow and white. The naturally occurring variety flavida has yellow flowers. Seed pods are dark brown and can be up to 60 cm long and 5 cm wide; the individual seeds, however, are small, weighing around 0.4 g on average. The compound leaves have a feathery appearance and are a characteristic light, bright green. They are doubly pinnate: Each leaf is 30-50 cm long and has 20 to 40 pairs of primary leaflets or pinnae on it, and each of these is further divided into 10-20 pairs of secondary leaflets or pinnules.The Royal Poinciana requires a tropical or near-tropical climate, but can tolerate drought and salty conditions.

It is very widely grown in the Caribbean.

Poinciana photos by Derek
Poinciana photos at Flickr

The Poinsettia - A Contemporary Symbol of Christmas

Photo by Rebecca

Poinsettias were first introduced into the United States in 1825 by Joel Poinsett, who found the flowers when he served as the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, and had occasion to visit Taxco, where he found the flowers growing on the hillsides. Poinsett, a botanist of great ability had some of the plants sent to his home in Greenville, South Carolina.

The modern era of Poinsettia culture began with the introduction of the seedlings' cultivar Oak Leaf in 1923. Since this introduction, many other cultivars have been developed throughout the years.

How to care for your Poinsettia plant

Poinsettias are green plants with long-lived bracts (vividly colored leaves) and golden yellow flowers.

*Place in a room with sufficient natural light to read the fine print.

* Avoid drafts or excess heat from appliances.

* Place plant high enough to be away from traffic, and out of reach of small children and animal pets.

* Put the plant in a water-proof container to protect your furnishings.

* Water plant thoroughly when soil surface is dry to the touch. Remember to discard excess water.

* To prolong the bright color of bracts, temperature should not exceed 72 degrees, during the day or 60 degrees at night.

* When bracts age and become muddy green, cut back plant to a height of eight inches to grow as a foliage plant, and it may be placed outdoors, when the outside temperature is not below 50 degrees. Remember to seal all cuts with pruning paint.

Planting guide for December

Vegetables: Beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, lettuce (head and leaf), radish, tomato and spinach.

Flowers: Aster, baby's breath, calendula, candyturf, carnation, cosmos, daisy, diathus, galliadia, hollyhock, larkspur, lupins, marigold, nasturtium pansy, periwinkle, petuna, phlox, poppy, snapdragon, stocks, sweet peas, verbena.

Grasses: Bahia.

For help with your garden problems, write to Garden Korner, P.O. Box N-3011, Nassau.

The Royal Poinciana

The Royal Poinciana has been described as the most colourful tree in the world. The tree's vivid red/orange flowers and bright green foliage in any case make it an exceptionally striking sight.

The Royal Poinciana is native to Madagascar, where it is found in the West Malagasy forest. In the wild it is endangered, but it is widely cultivated elsewhere. In addition to its ornamental value, it is also a useful shade tree in tropical conditions, because it usually grows to a modest height (typically around 5 m, though it can reach as high as 12 m) but spreads widely, and its dense foliage provides full shade. In areas with a marked dry season, it sheds its leaves during the drought, but in other areas it is virtually evergreen.

The flowers are large, with four spreading scarlet or orange-red petals up to 8 cm long, and a fifth upright petal called the standard, which is slightly larger and spotted with yellow and white. The naturally occurring variety flavida has yellow flowers. Seed pods are dark brown and can be up to 60 cm long and 5 cm wide; the individual seeds, however, are small, weighing around 0.4 g on average. The compound leaves have a feathery appearance and are a characteristic light, bright green. They are doubly pinnate: Each leaf is 30-50 cm long and has 20 to 40 pairs of primary leaflets or pinnae on it, and each of these is further divided into 10-20 pairs of secondary leaflets or pinnules.The Royal Poinciana requires a tropical or near-tropical climate, but can tolerate drought and salty conditions.

It is very widely grown in the Caribbean.

Photo by Derek Catalano