This tree, which belongs to the carob family, originally comes from the tropics and subtropics and primarily from Madagascar. Even if it bears fruit, it belongs to the ornamental plants, because the fruits are not used as such. In recent years, however, it has also become more and more popular in our part of the world. The flame tree is the ideal shade provider in the warm tropics, because it expands a lot in its treetop and is used in many gardens and avenues. If the flame tree is pruned correctly at an early stage, it will develop a fanned out and hemispherical crown, which can also provide a nice shade on the terrace at home.
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Do you want to grow your own or plant a finished tree?
A hobby gardener can grow the flame tree himself well if he has the seeds for it. The seeds can be sown all year round and this works very well on the window sill at home in a warm and bright place. It should also be avoided here to expose the small plant to drafts, as it appreciates windless places. Holidaymakers often bring the up to 50 cm long seed pods home with them from warmer areas such as Tenerife, Australia or the Dominican Republic. Because there the flame tree has spread and grows wild or in many gardens as an ornamental plant. But most of the nurseries here also offer the seeds for sale. The mostly dried seeds should then be poured with lukewarm water and soaked for several days. Then you put it in coconut oil and air-permeable growing soil in a small pot. This should be light and warm, for example on the windowsill at the beginning. However, the seedling should not be exposed to direct sun for the first six weeks. The correct temperature for germination here is around 20 ° C and the seedling will germinate after one to two weeks. If the temperature is lower, germination will take longer.
The faster germination can also be achieved by covering with a transparent film that is placed over the germination vessel. If the seedling shows up, this film should be removed again so that the new plant gets enough air. The seedling must be kept moist in any case, but waterlogging should be avoided. Once a small plant has emerged, it can be placed outside in a nice, sunny and windless place in summer. The flame tree usually grows quickly and should therefore be repotted regularly so that it can grow and its roots can spread. Unfortunately, the flame trees are not suitable as bonsai trees, so their roots should have enough space.
Because if it is not moved into a larger area, it will eventually stop growing and remain a small ornamental plant. Of course, several seeds can be put in one pot to germinate, but after about two months the seedlings should be pricked out and each placed in a separate pot. Of course, care must be taken to ensure that no roots are damaged. But of course the local nurseries also have ready-made potted plants ready, which are worth buying. These are already cut into the right shape and planted in the right soil and can be used directly on the patio at home.
Caring for the flame tree
Caring for this ornamental plant is not that difficult, but the hobby gardener should take some time for the plant right from the start. Because the more often the young plant is cut back, the thicker it will grow later. If the tree is in the growth phase, the flamboyant must always be given plenty of water and fertilized every three weeks in the summer months from May to October. Once this phase of growth is complete, the flame tree usually no longer needs any fertilizer and should only be watered moderately. Even a small plant that is just beginning to grow can definitely be put outside on the terrace or balcony in summer. However, care should also be taken to ensure that the place is sunny and sheltered from the wind. When the flame tree has grown So fertilization is actually no longer necessary, because it shouldn’t grow that high. The first flowering does not set in until after a few years, but then, in order to obtain a more beautiful flowering, you can fertilize again moderately during the flowering phase in the summer months. Since the tree can reach a height of ten to seventeen meters in the wild, the hobby gardener should consider beforehand what height the tree should reach, because under no circumstances should it overwinter on the terrace or in the garden, he has to to be spent inside. If it has become too big and too high, it is unfortunately often no longer possible to move the flame tree to another place. In order to get a nicer bloom, fertilize again moderately during the blooming phase in the summer months. Since the tree can reach a height of ten to seventeen meters in the wild, the hobby gardener should consider beforehand what height the tree should reach, because under no circumstances should it overwinter on the terrace or in the garden, he has to to be spent inside. If it has become too big and too high, it is unfortunately often no longer possible to move the flame tree to another place. In order to get a nicer bloom, fertilize again moderately during the blooming phase in the summer months. Since the tree can reach a height of ten to seventeen meters in the wild, the hobby gardener should consider beforehand what height the tree should reach, because under no circumstances should it overwinter on the terrace or in the garden, he has to to be spent inside. If it has become too big and too high, it is unfortunately often no longer possible to move the flame tree to another place. because it must never overwinter on the terrace or in the garden, for that it has to be brought inside. If it has become too big and too high, it is unfortunately often no longer possible to move the flame tree to another place. because it must never overwinter on the terrace or in the garden, for that it has to be brought inside. If it has become too big and too high, it is unfortunately often no longer possible to move the flame tree to another place.
Maintenance tips at a glance
- choose a sunny and bright location
- choose nutrient-rich soil
- Control growth with regular pruning so that it can unfold its full splendor
- flowering begins between June and August, then fertilize a little
- When sowing, water a lot, then only moderately and avoid waterlogging
- Flammenbaum is not hardy, choose a warm place between 10 ° and 20 ° degrees in winter
- the winter place should not be too dark, as the tree will then develop the new leaves too late
- in autumn the tree loses its leaves
What should you watch out for when wintering?
The flame tree is not a tree for winter, unfortunately it is not hardy because it comes from the tropics and therefore it does not tolerate any frost. Therefore, when the plant is on the balcony or terrace from summer to autumn, it is essential to ensure that the tree is not exposed to temperatures below 10 ° C and that it is moved to its winter quarters early on. But the flame tree can be brought through the winter well if a few points are observed. What is worth knowing here, however, is that the tree always loses its leaves for some time in winter. So it can overwinter in a dark place with a temperature of 10 ° to 15 ° C, but then the plant does not sprout its leaves again until late spring. However, if you place it in a bright place at approx. 10 ° to 20 ° C, then it only sheds its leaves for a short time. For example, the flame tree can easily be overwintered in a bright place in the hallway that is not too warm. Since the leaves quickly grow back in such a place that is modeled on summer, it remains a beautiful ornamental plant even in winter, for example in a winter garden or in the not so warm hallway of the apartment or house. Even in the spring and summer months, if the owner hibernates his flame tree in a light and not too warm place, he will benefit from it earlier, as it will then sprout its leaves earlier. Summer-like space can quickly grow back here, but it remains a beautiful ornamental plant even in winter, for example in a winter garden or in the not-so-warm hallway of the apartment or house. Even in the spring and summer months, if the owner hibernates his flame tree in a light and not too warm place, he will benefit from it earlier, as it will then sprout its leaves earlier. Summer-like space can quickly grow back here, but it remains a beautiful ornamental plant even in winter, for example in a winter garden or in the not-so-warm hallway of the apartment or house. Even in the spring and summer months, if the owner hibernates his flame tree in a light and not too warm place, he will benefit from it earlier, as it will then sprout its leaves earlier.
A location for the whole year
Of course, the flamboyant can also be left in a corner of the winter garden or a corner of the apartment all year round. Even if there is no garden with a terrace or balcony, this beautiful ornamental plant can enrich every home. Then, however, it is also necessary to offer the plant a light place that is protected from wind and, above all, draft. After germination, in which the plant should not be exposed to direct sun, plenty of solar radiation is also an advantage here. Furthermore, it should be ensured that the temperature at this location of the flame tree in winter is around 15 ° to 20 ° degrees, in summer it can then be a bit warmer. Especially in rainy,
What pests are there?
Unfortunately, the flame tree is not immune to many pests and diseases either. Of course, the worst pests here also include all types of lice, such as mealybugs, scale insects, spider mites and aphids. Unfortunately, the whitefly or sciarid gnats can also be very damaging to the flame tree once it has been attacked by them. Furthermore, a wet summer is also bad for the tropical plant, because the wetness can lead to mold, rust or mildew on the leaves. Therefore, the flame tree should always be well protected so that a bad summer does not affect it too much. Conventional protective measures such as fungicides or insecticides can of course be used against this pest infestation. Furthermore, of course, the right, bright and warm location, the right soil and a little fertilizer strengthen the plant against pest infestation. These pests usually discolour the leaves or the flame tree sheds the leaves at the wrong time, i.e. in spring or summer.
Conclusion
The flame tree is an ornamental tree, which unfortunately cannot overwinter in our latitudes. In its home country it can easily reach a height of ten to seventeen meters. And therefore adorns numerous avenues and gardens here. But wild flame trees are also quite common here. The double-pinnate leaves look very elegant and adorn the lush crown, which donates a lot of shade. In summer, many flowers stand together in clusters and shine in a lush red. The fruits in the form of up to 50 cm long drops also make the flamboyant a spectacular sight. Since it is not winter hardy, in our latitudes it has to be pulled and kept in a bucket that is mobile and that makes it easier for the tree to move to its winter quarters.
