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Friday 15 September 2023 LOCAL
A10

Episode 52 Ornamental trees

There are numerous ornamental
trees that play such a fundamen-
tal role in garden landscapes, pro-
viding beauty in the form of often
spectacular flowers and also a
wide range of shapes and textures.

Over the past three or four centu-
ries such trees have spread from
their original habitats throughout
the tropics, so that today’s gar-
dener has an extensive variety of
choices from places you may nev-
er have seen.

The famous Flamboyant, or Flame It is easy to plant a flamboyant
Tree (Delonix regia), for example, tree. Start with a closed pod, open
comes from Madagascar. In Eng- the pod and remove the seeds.
lish knowns as Flame tree, Gold The seeds have a high germination
mohar, Julu tree, Peacock flower rate for several years. The seeds
and Royal Poinciana. grow faster when they are either
nicked with a knife or rubbed for
The flamboyant tree has been de- about fifteen seconds with sand-
scribed as one of the loveliest and paper then soaked overnight.
most colorful trees in the world. Alternatively you may place the
With a blaze of yellow to crimson seeds in a pot of water, bring it to
red blossoms and delicate fern- the boiling point, remove the pan
like leaves, the magnificent flowers from the heat source, and leave
graces Aruba from April until Sep- the seeds in the water until it is
tember and all around the earth in cooled. Once the water is drained
tropical climates. Adapted to local the seeds are ready to plant; plant
conditions this large tree, which them in a location that receives full
naturally assumes a spreading um- sun. Plant three or four seeds per
brella shape, originated in Mada- tree and thin to the strongest one
gascar and is now found in many once they have sprouted. Trees
Aruban gardens. It can grow as tall may also be grown from branch
as 18 meters and has smooth grey- cuttings of the tree. It is advised not
ish-colored bark and attractive to plant flamboyant trees close to
feathery, fern-like leaves, which sidewalks as the shallow roots may
drop annually during the dry sea- protrude through the sidewalk and
son. At the same time as the new present a tripping hazard.
leaves appear, the tree is covered
with masses of five petal led flowers In addition to providing delight-
that are usually bright red-orange ful dappled shade all year and a
but may also appear in pale apri- profusion of flowers for almost half
cot. Blooming is followed by long, of the year, the bark and flowers
flattened, leathery dark brown or of the tree are rich in phytochemi-
black seed pods. cals and flavonoids and contain
antimicrobial, antioxidant and
It’s host for lac-insect. It’s a good anti-inflammatory properties and
tree to control soil erosion in the have been used for hepatic pro-
semi-arid and arid areas. tection and as a treatment for di-
arrhea. The dried pods on the tree
Flamboyant requires full sun and produce a nice crackling sound in
adequate space to take its char- the wind and are easily gathered
acteristic form. on the ground to be used as a fuel
for fire.
Flamboyant trees are very hardy
and pest-resistant and grow well The extract of Delonix regia is
in a wide variety of well-drained known to have medicinal prop-
soils from acid to alkaline and from erties. The plant is used in several
loamy to gravely and, if managed countries to prepare extracts with
well, even in the dark clay-like soil in antimicrobial and antifungal ac-
parts of Aruba. The trees are toler- tivities. Delonix regia Rafin, with an
ant to draught and may be grown impressive range of medicinal and
close to the sea, but not right on biological properties, has been
the beach. Flamboyant trees are used in the folk medicine systems
not able to survive in zones that go of several civilizations like for the
below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. In treatment of constipation, inflam-
windy areas, trees are susceptible mation, arthritis, hemiplegia, leu-
to branch breakage. corrhoea and rheumatism.q