African Tullip Tree

African Tulip Tree

Tuliptree

Tulip Tree Info

The African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata) is known by many names, including Fountain tree, Fireball tre, Flame of the Forest

The Latin word Spathodea is derived from the spathe-shaped calyx of the flowers.

The African tulip tree belongs to the bigonia family, Bigoneaceae. As the name suggests, the African tulip tree originates from the African continent. It grows in the tropical parts of Africa in the equatorial regions and is today planted in tropical regions all over the world as an ornamental tree.

Today, it has become a popular tree among xeriscapers. In warm regions of the world where water can be scarse, Xeriscaping is a way of creating a garden that can withstand droughts and will require little watering. The African tulip tree is also fire-retardant.

The African tulip tree will bloom with an abundance of vividly colored flowers in red, orange and crimson shades. Yellow flowers have also occurred, but these are very rare. The African tulip tree will also attract wild life, including hole nesting birds like barbets that appreciate the soft wood of the African tulip tree. A lot of animals are also attracted to the drops of rain and dew that is captured by the ampule shaped flower bud. Children like to play with flower buds from the African tulip tree and use them to squirt water over each other. The open flowers are also able to store water since they are cup shaped. They attract birds, bees and butterflies. In Ghana, bark as well as leaves from the African tulip tree is used in traditional remedies.

The African tulip tree typically grows very fast to a height of 7 to 25 meters. Young leaves are bronze and will later shift to a deep green and look glossier as they grow older. At the end of the branches, kidney-shaped buds will grow in clusters. These buds are velvety and have a bronze-green coloration. Each bud will eventually open up and display a huge and intensely colored flower.

The seeds of the African tulip tree are found inside a 20 centimeter long legume that will crack open when it falls from the tree and hit the ground. The seeds inside are very small and have tiny wings. If you want to plant an African tulip tree you should choose a place where it will receive a lot of sun. The soil should be rich and kept moist. The African tulip tree has some salt tolerance. African tulip tree should not be planted in frosty areas. The foliage of the tree will die when the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius, but the roots can survive down to minus seven degrees. The African tulip tree can also be planted indoors, but keep in mind that it grows fast and become tall.

The African tulip tree can be propagated using seeds or cuttings. Herbaceous stem cuttings, semi-hardwood cuttings and softwood cuttings will all work well. The tree will even self-sow freely, and is considered a noxious weed in some regions. If you want to plant seeds, the pods should be allowed to dry on the plant before you crack the pods and collect the seeds. If you clean them you can store the seeds for long periods of time.

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