I doubt it. I brought back a seed pod from Puerto Vallarta last year. Had a bunch of seedlings, but they all died once I brought them in for the winter. If you could find a large seedling (4' or so) and plant that, it might make it if you built a shed around it in the winter.

You are better of with a Scarlet Wisteria (false poinciana). They look like a smaller version with similar blooms.

Hi Mamacat,
I have grown poincianas in Sugar Land for 5 years now. I have had them freeze back, but they have always come back. I do keep them in pots, because they grow into a huge tree, and I don't have the space for one. I can't get them to bloom; but that is probably due too cold a winter. But even without flowering, the delonix regia is a beautiful tree. I picked mine up in Coral Gables Florida as 6" seedlings and brought them back to Sugar Land. It is a beautiful tree and I have purposely gone to Florida three times to see them bloom in June or July. Nick

I remember seeing a RP in Mexico years ago, near some Mayan ruins, growing wild. Blooming like a shower of fireworks! This was in April, as I recall. I believe it was during what the locals call their dry season.

Maybe that is one cause of the RPs not blooming in the Houston area. They might be getting watered in captivity at times when they would be getting none in the wild. Or maybe they need more room for their roots, and the pots constrict them. (The colder winters are reasonable to suspect, too.) Sorry I don't know more about RPs...

The Royal Poinciana Delonix regia might make it in Houston, but I'm very doubtful. Even though they grow well here in Rockport, zone 9, they are actually zoned to 10-12.