Royal Poinciana Tree was great for years, now... kinda worried.

9 years ago

Hey guys, I just joined gardenweb specifically because of the problem that I seem to be having with my Royal Poinciana.

I planted the tree about 1.5 years ago, during the spring here in Southwest Florida. When I bought it from a local nursery, it was already about 6 to 7 feet tall. It transplanted nicely and I watered it a lot in the beginning.

During the first summer, it was kind of bare, but by the end of the summer (that means late-October here in Florida), it had gotten a nice full foliage. It dropped some of its leaves around january when things got a little colder (maybe a couple of nights in the 40s) and then in the spring it all came back and was looking nice again. The spring came and all its foliage came back. By now it has grown to at least 13 feet (probably more like 16).

Then the problem started. Around May 2014 it started dropping leaves (like it was winter again). We had no unusual cold temps or anything like that. It just started dropping them. Over the summer, when I would see tons of RPs around town blooming and fully clothed in leaves, mine would be getting thinner and thinner. I would notice that there WAS new growth coming out, but within a week, those new growth sprouts would just fall off.

We got a decent amount of rain during the summer (as we usually do), so I don't usually water it. In fact, I didn't water it very much during the winter last year, either.

Now it is October 2014. My tree is pretty much completely bare. There are a few little new growth sprouts on it here and there. But less than even last week. I have taken a full shot and two new sprout shots to show you all what it looks like.

When I scrape the bark with my fingernail, the underlying tree is green. There are, however, smaller branches that have clearly dried up. Even the new growth, in some places, just seems a bit worn.

It stinks because this is the one tree that I have transplanted that I really wanted to take and it's the one tree of all of them that I have transplanted that seems like it might not...

It is planted in my backyard in the general vicinity of two live oaks and one malaluca (in the lot behind my house). The malaluca is about 20 feet away and the closest of the live oaks is probably about 15 feet too. The other live oak is 20 feet away. All 3 of these trees are doing fantastic.

The photo of the tree looks like it is in full shade because I took it this morning. The tree doesn't get full sun until around noon.

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Comments (11)

hundreds
Original Author
9 years ago
Here is some new growth.
hundreds
Original Author
9 years ago
And one more new growth photo.
tropicbreezent
9 years ago
The secret with these is you plant them in an out of the way place no where near where there's a garden that might get watered. And then you ignore them. During the winter period they need to be left dry, summer they can be saturated. I don't know about Live Oaks but Melaleucas take a lot of water. Depending on species, some don't mind drying out in winter the same as Poinciana. The grass in the photo looks very green. If that's done with irrigation then it could be the cause of your problem.
garyfla_gw
9 years ago
hi
have never heard of a problem with RP except for freeze ,they hate that lol. I'm surrounded with them from my neighbors . Only problems have been they drop those gigantic seed pods and try to eat my house .
I would try to see if something is bothering the roots??
Dig down a bit and see if that's the problem . Florida is famous for nematodes but have never seen one suffering from that ?? they do have dormant periods which seem geared to the weather. Good luck gary
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
9 years ago
They do have a dormant period right? In Madagascar they are from wet dry forests. It might be getting ready to bloom..in spring. Like Jacaranda's do.
My other explanation is...tropical pinnate tree's when young drop leaves and go bare at odd times...then flush new leaves. My Brazilian fern tree seedlings are dropping all the summer leafs...and new ones are being sent out.
garyfla_gw
9 years ago
Hi
All the ones in my neighborhood are winding down from flowering but see much new growth. From what I've gathered over the years that it depends on the weather particularly temps. tend to flower heaviest during summer .
What is a Brazilian fern tree?? have a Schizolobium parahyba some refer to as that name? Also have some
brazilian tree ferns , and a japanese fern tree lol
All are in full foliage gary
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
9 years ago
I was tactfully trying to avoid typing Schizolomium parahyba Gary lol.Its a mouthful. But,that's the plant. I have seedlings of that and Delonix...and a 30' pair of Podocarpus gracilor -African fern tree.
garyfla_gw
9 years ago
Hello
So the Schizos are not big enough to show the obnoxious growth habits??lol I "coatrack " pruned mine so ended up with multiple crowns and in 15 years have yet to have it flower!! Have you noticed the sticky resin it produces??
has some very interesting properties which I've been unable to find any info .on, Most outstanding is the habit of
gluing lizards to the limbs., at the same time seems repellant to most insects Doesn't seem to be carniverous or use them as fertilizer as Pavonias do ??
Another is blowing entire limbs off with a loud crack !!lol
Are you going to try to grow it with a single crown and what is your plan for size control?? gary
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
9 years ago
It will never be large enough here for size to be a problem..I think!. I'm in a cool-warm 10a California climate. Sort of the eternal spring thing.
But,yep,its sticky as a seedling. I notice too- its a snail magnet,while Delinox isn't touched by a single bug of any kind.
garyfla_gw
9 years ago
Hi
most of the info . on Schizolobium i found was from Brazil
where they are grown as fillers for degraded forest and for plywood. Certainly not a rare tree in the climate zone .
Not one mention of the sticky resin or the function lol
Last year it started to develop "brace roots " which are now around 5 foot out on either side of the main trunk lol
Pruning is difficult due to the growth habit When coat rack pruned was reduced to 15 feet but is already push 30!! Literature says 60 meters!! Easily damaged by low winds and I'm in a hurricane zone lol
I'll probably have to remove it at some point but was hoping to see at least one flower. Friend sent me pix of some in Panama and were spectacular.!!
Only Delonix I've tried to grow was a white form kept it 10 years in a pot,grew well but no flowers . Gave it to a friend who put it in the ground has tripled in size but no flowers. fear it;'s permanently stunted , bummer lol.
Good luck with your Schizo. keep those pruning shears handy or maybe a good chain saw ?? lol gary
HU-811348709
3 years ago
I have a royal that has a sewer like smell coming from sap where the tree was pruned early in its life. Is there anyway to fix this?