Gulmohar (Flame Tree)
Delonix regia
📖 About this plant
Gulmohar (Delonix regia), also known as the Flame Tree, Royal Poinciana, or Peacock Flower, is one of the most spectacular flowering trees in the world — when in bloom from April to June, the tree is a mass of brilliant scarlet-orange flowers that covers the entire canopy, earning it the name “Flame of the Forest”. Native to Madagascar (where it is endangered in the wild), Gulmohar has been planted across India since the 19th century and has become one of the most iconic and beloved avenue trees in Indian cities — lining streets, parks, and gardens with its umbrella-shaped canopy and fiery summer bloom. The tree is deciduous — it loses its feathery leaves in late winter, then bursts into spectacular bloom in April-May before the new leaves appear, creating an unforgettable sight. After the bloom, the tree produces long (30-60 cm), dark brown, woody pods that hang from the branches for months. Beyond its ornamental value, Gulmohar provides excellent shade (its wide-spreading canopy can be 12-15 m across), the wood is used for fuel and light construction, and the tree is used as a soil-improving cover crop in some regions (it fixes nitrogen through symbiotic bacteria). The tree is a magnet for birds and bees when in flower. However, Gulmohar has a relatively short lifespan (40-60 years), brittle wood that breaks in strong winds, and aggressive surface roots that can damage pavements and foundations — so it should be planted with adequate space away from buildings and infrastructure.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun
Weekly (drought-tolerant once established)
Moderate (40-70%)
15-38°C
Well-draining loamy soil; tolerates poor and acidic soils. pH 5.5-7.0
Light feeder — balanced NPK or compost once or twice per year
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Madagascar (widely planted across tropical and subtropical regions)
- 📏 Max height
- 8-15 m (typically 8-12 m in cultivation)
- 📐 Spread
- 8-15 m (broad, spreading umbrella-shaped canopy)
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- April to June (late spring to early summer in India)
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Brilliant scarlet-orange to red flowers with one white-and-yellow petal
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Bright green, feathery, bipinnate leaves 30-50 cm long; deciduous in dry season
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 40-60 years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast — 1-2 m per year when young
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Mildly toxic — seeds and bark contain compounds that may cause stomach upset; keep away from pets and children
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds (need scarification or hot water soak; germinate in 1-2 weeks), cuttings
🛡️ Health & Safety
Mildly toxic — seeds and bark contain compounds that may cause stomach upset; keep away from pets and children
Common issues
- Root rot from overwatering or poor drainage
- leaf spot diseases in humid weather
- powdery mildew
- caterpillars on new growth
- scale insects
- brittle branches breaking in strong winds
- surface roots damaging pavements
💡 Care tips
- Plant in full sun with at least 10-12 m spacing from buildings, pavements, and underground pipes — Gulmohar develops aggressive surface roots.
- The tree needs full sun for best flowering — shade-grown trees produce few flowers.
- Water regularly during the first 2-3 years to establish
- afterwards it is drought-tolerant.
- Apply compost or balanced fertilizer once or twice per year.
- Prune young trees to develop a strong framework and remove crossing branches
- mature trees need minimal pruning but should be thinned to reduce wind resistance (brittle branches break easily in monsoon storms).
- The tree is deciduous — do not worry when leaves drop in winter, this is normal.
- Do not plant Gulmohar in small yards, near foundations, or under power lines — the tree becomes very large.
- For avenue planting, space trees 8-10 m apart.
- The tree is fast-growing (1-2 m per year when young) and starts flowering in 3-5 years from seed.
- Plant Gulmohar for a spectacular summer bloom and excellent shade — but give it the space it needs.