I also have a RP that's been growing outside all summer and has done very well. It's about 1 1/2' tall and has a nice thick woody stem. Our temps have dropped into the 40's a number of times over the past few weeks and some of the lower foliage has started to yellow. I'm just not ready to bring it in yet. I don't think any of the lower foliage will re-grow but as long as the growth tip is healthy I think it will be fine. I was planning on letting the bottom couple branches that have started to yellow just drop on thier own. I don't know if that's the correct thing to do as it's my first experience with this plant also. Do you think yours is too dry (low humidity) where it is now? I was going to keep mine near the misters or on a pebble tray when I take it in. It's spent the summer by my goldfish pond and has been protected from strong afternoon sun by some taller plants. I also think it helps hold in some of the water that evaporates from the pond and keeps the area immediately around it a bit more humid. The same thing has also happened to my Pride of Barbados.
Karyn

It is unlikely that either of you will ever see one of these bloom in your climate, but they can be grown as a foliage plant. The dropping of leaflets is something that they also do in the dry season in habitat, so they are preprogrammed to drop older leaves when stressed by cold or drought. I'd suggest keeping them warm enough, (above 55F) through the winter to keep them alive, and give them bottom heat starting in late spring to try and get maximum size over a longer season. In marginal climates such as ours here in California, they can survive outdoors overwinter and even get large enough to bloom in summers with more heat, but will also typically drop all their leaves under cold stress. They do best here if kept as dry as possible over winter, and located where they get maximum heat and the soils stay as warm and dry as possible in winter. I would think that just barely watering them through the winter indoors would also be better than trying to keep them actively growing if you can't give them warmth and humidity and good lighting through the winter.

As has been said above, Royal Poinicianas naturally drop their leaves in the drier season of the year. In South Florida, their leaves can provide some shading in the summer and their deciduous nature permits more direct sun in the winter when it's appreciated. They should come back for you in the spring. As noted, I'd keep them on the dry side until spring, then increase watering. Not sure how big they have to be before flowering. I'm not sure I'd write off flowering entirely in Maryland--given its long hot summers. Good luck!

I figure if I can get my papayas and mangos to fruit here I might be able to get the RP to flower. It's certainly worth a try. At least the foliage is pretty.
Karyn

I have 2 in my garden. One is about 6 years old and well over 40' tall the other one is about 4 years old and about 15 feet tall. I live in Florida on the west coast and they will start to lose the leaves once it gets cooler here. In the spring and summer that have a thick canopy to block out the sun. I just love them. I also have two dwarfs about 6 feet tall. One red/orange one yellow

Hi Karyn and others, thanks for responding with the advice. They were in the g/h as summer failed to call in on the UK this year, and are in the living room at present, have been for well over a month now. In the sunniest window facing south, kept them watered and fed during warmer months but have eased off water (so no humidity around them now) and no food now it's gone so much colder. At night they get moved away from the window. Not got heater and insulation up in g/h yet, just fleece over plants, will do that asap as ouside temps were below freezing last night, had to scrape ice from windscreens. So think they may be better off in there as temps should be more constant as when we do get cold enough for the house c/heating we don't have it on at night time....to darned expensive here!! Thought if I could get them to grow and ripen up as much as poss before the cold snap set in I would stand a better chance come spring, but Mother Nature beat me to it...again. Not going to give up on them yet even if they never flower...which WOULD be a miracle I realise.
Purchased the seeds from holiday in Canaries, liked the look of the flowers! May be better off trying the similar looking dwarf species, (Caesalpinias), one in particular....C.Gilliesii may be better still. Well off to lag the g/h and give the RP's some tlc.
Cheers and all that!....the ever optimistic Gill.

hi,true to what has been said!
here in los angeles,when temps drop,even to high 50s the tree loses leaves.
like the other post states ,you will never get blooms,as the tree needs to get at least 30x30 to bloom,at least in the fringes of its zone
gary

I bought a RP seedling at the end of July. It has been intermittently dropping leaves the entire time I've had it. I just replanted it from the tiny dixie cup few weeks ago. It keeps putting out new leaves, but as it does, the older ones yellow and drop. When it was in the dixie cup it would only keep five leaves at a time. The past few days have been overcast and rainy and the leaves are already starting to yellow again. I probably haven't been giving it enough light. I like to keep it by my desk, but it's just too dark in the office. I agree with Karyn the new growth looks healthy. They should recover just fine.

Here's mine after repotting.

Lzyjo, nice little plant you have there, it's looking really healthy, hope it stays that way for you. The new growth on mine seems OK at the moment, just a shame about the rest of it! So fingers crossed tightly, and roll on spring as its rather cold today.
Gill.

Lzyjo interesting planter. I'd have never thought to use a coffee bag but it's a great idea. It's deeper then many standard pots.
Karyn

My fingers are crossed for you, Gill.

Karyn, thanks! I love them! I use nail clippers to cut drainage holes. I also "customize" the length. I have oregano in short ones and seeds in medium length ones. The only problem is they don't stay perfectly square, so occasionally I squeeze them back to shape.

Liz

Our temps have finally dropped so I brought my tender plants inside either into the house or greenhouse. The "grow room" in the house is about 70 and the GH heater only kicks in if it goes below 40. I figured the RP would do better in the house but it's not looking happy at all! I was thinking of moving it to the GH even though the temps are cooler. I don't think it would be any worse off. lol
Karyn

I started pride of barbados from seed and it looks just like the picture posted for royal poinciana, coincidentally the leaves on my POB dropped also. What is the difference between these two plants. Thanks Mary

Hi, after many attempts I finally have got a royal poinciana in the back garden now about 8feet high. All went well for the first two years outside then this spring after a good start it dropped all the leaves after a hail storm. Now the temperature is way up again for the Australian summer, I am giving it lots of water but every new sprig that comes out drops its leaves after a week. They keep coming and the leaflets keep dropping. I wonder if it may be a disease in the soil that is stopping the roots taking up water? We have a fungus here that does that to native plants.

Hi Greenclaws,

Just hang in there wirh your Poincianias. As other people have said they drop their leaves in the winter (dry season). They may die back a bit but should come back in the spring. If you want some more seeds I saw them for sale at Kew gardens when I was there last June.

Good luck,

John

I just harvested lots of RP seeds the other day. If you still need some, let me know!

I love Royal Poicianas and love to see them growing with the other royal I like, the Royal Palm in the Rio Grande Valley.

Iluvcactus, the difference between the Royal Poiciana and the Pride od Barbados is the height factor. The POB is the 'dwarf' species/version.
I grow both, with 4 colors of the POB and these can have blooms when they are only a foot or so high, at 6 months, while the RP doesn't bloom until it is mature.

Hi,
Can royal poincianas bloom late?
Just moved into old house and garden with a royal out front. Not tall but fat trunk. Still hasn't bloomed although all others in neighborhood are on fire.
Can it bloom in June? Do some bloom later than others?

Thanks

They bloom down here as soon as it gets dry.
In Canas, down near the coast, they flower in Feb or so and up here, On lake Arenal they are in full bloom right now after they may dry spell.

I have a RP that is at least 4 years old maybe older, and has never bloomed,. Its about 8-9 foot in height. Last fall I discovered it was infested with twig girdlers. I plan to spray it this fall but would this hinder its ability to bloom? Perhaps its just not old enough?

Hi! I leave in Athens, greece and I planted 4 Roiyal Poinciana last May (2010)
the winter proved to be hard on my plants. they lost all their branches. I had them in the house in order to protect them from cold winter days.
Although the main branch gives new branches they seem to be 'sick' as well.
I gave them a light fertilizer in order to help them but it did not help them.
I water them every second day. the temperature in Greece is around 20 degrees (Celsius) nowadays.
Any suggestions?
Thank you in advance