Delonix regia has a number of common names, including Flamboyant Tree, Flame of the Forest or Royal Poinciana. It seems to originate from Madagascar, but because of its striking red flowers, it has been planted in many tropical regions around the world. On top of its ornamental value, it is an excellent tree to provide shade on hot days as its branches tend to spread to the sides (it has a hemispherical crown) and its foliage is also quite dense. It’s a deciduous tree that flowers once a year. There are several cultivated variaties with the colour of the flowers ranging from white and yellow to orange and red.

Although they are common in many tropical countries, I found these trees especially impressive in northern Australia, such as Cairns and Darwin where they are often planted as standalone trees in parks. The tree on the picture below was photographed in the Cairns Botanic Gardens, an excellent place for viewing a large variety of tropical plants and rainforest vegetation not only from Australia, but from all over the world. The entry to the gardens is free.

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