Naming Identity

Flamboyan is scientifically known in Latin as Delonix regia. Internationally in English, this plant is popular with the names flamboyant, royal poinciana or flame of the forest.

In India this plant is known as alasippu, gulmohar in Pakistan, tabachin in Mexico, and feuerbaum in Germany.

Taxonomy

Origin

The origin of the flamboyant plant was unknown until the 1930s when it was discovered growing wild in Madagascar. Today, flamboyants can be found in tropical and subtropical climates throughout the world (Find Trees & Learn | University of Arizona Campus Arboretum, 2024).

Shape Description

Flamboyant is a tall plant that can grow tall and large to a height of 15 meters. Growth tends to be rapid when it is young. When mature, the flamboyant produces an umbrella-shaped crown. The trees are almost evergreen with a wide, spreading canopy. This tree is said to experience leaf fall in areas experiencing long dry seasons. The stems have gray or brown skin with a smooth or slightly rough and peeling surface.

The flowers attract attention because of their bright red color, varying in intensity from reddish-orange to dark red. The leaves are compound with a double pinnate shape and are hairy and have a length of up to 60 cm. Flamboyant also has pods hanging from its stems.

In India, the flamboyant plant leaves no leaves from March to May. The leaves will instead begin to appear in late summer in May or June (Rojas-Sandoval & Acevedo-Rodríguez, 2022).

This plant can grow in many places including disturbed land. It can also grow in full sun. Flamboyant is tolerant of sandy soil,  clay soil, clay soil, and acidic or alkaline soil.

Invasive Nature

Based on observations made in several areas in Oceania and the Pacific, it was found that flamboyant plants that have become naturalized in Australia and the Christmas Islands as well as several islands in the Pacific have become invasive plants. These plants tend to form monocultures and inhibit the regeneration of native species in a field (Rojas-Sandoval & Acevedo-Rodríguez, 2022).

Flamboyant Benefits for Health and Other Uses

Flamboyant is generally planted as an ornamental plant that can provide shade. However, a research report states that flamboyant has anti-bacterial, anti-malarial and anti-fungal properties.

In Bangladesh, the leaves are used in traditional medicine practices to help control sugar levels in diabetes patients (Find Trees & Learn | University of Arizona Campus Arboretum, 2024). The immature pods are edible and have good potential as a source of protein for humans and livestock. Meanwhile, the leaves are said to be used as nutritious animal feed (Rojas-Sandoval & Acevedo-Rodríguez, 2022).

Some of the compounds contained in flamboyant plants include flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, and phenolic acids (Dr Shashank Tiwari & Talreja, 2023). Furthermore, these compounds have the potential as medicinal ingredients that have antioxidant and anticancer properties and can help treat diabetes, cardiovascular health, and microbial infections.