ગુલમોહર

Delonix regia

Flame tree गुलमोहर

Naturalised

Commonly known as Gulmohar, Flamboyant Flame Tree, Royal poinciana, Gul Mohur, Flamboyant tree, Peacock Flower, Red Gulmohar.

One of the most recognisable street trees in urban India, an umbrella-shaped tree, 10-18 metres tall, whose fiery red-orange flowers explode across the canopy each summer. It's not actually from India at all: Gulmohar is native to Madagascar, and its familiarity here is a reminder that not everything that feels quintessentially local actually is (a distinction explored further in this repository's guide to native, naturalised, and exotic species).

The plant

Habit Tree

Origin Naturalised

Flowering Summer, Monsoon

Edible To be verified

Growing it

Sun Full sun

Water Steady moisture · drought tolerant once established

Drainage Needs to drain well

Soil Sandy, clay

Soil pH 4.5–7.5

Sow In the monsoon

Started from Seed, Cuttings

Germinates 12–349 days

Life it supports

No specific wildlife-relationship data recorded for this species.

How to grow it

Seed has a hard, woody coat and can lie dormant in the soil for 2-3 years, typically taking 12-349 days to germinate untreated.
To speed things up, scarify the seed coat carefully (without damaging the embryo inside), or pour near-boiling water over the seed, let it cool, then soak for 12-24 hours in warm water.
Treated seed sown in unshaded nursery beds germinates in 5-10 days at up to 90% success, and grows on quickly, expect 3-5 months total in the nursery before planting out in the rainy season (don't keep seedlings past 9 months, they get unwieldy).
Seed stores well if protected from insects (a little ash helps), retaining reasonable viability even after 9 years.
Branch cuttings also work.
Where to plant: full sun, in fertile, moist, well-drained soil, sheltered from strong wind.
When to plant: set container-grown trees out in spring or autumn; sow seed at 18-21°C in spring.
Spacing: 5-10m apart, keep away from pavements and streets, as buttress roots can lift them.
Care: water regularly, feed with an all-purpose organic fertiliser in spring.
It's easy to grow but sensitive to cold, and rarely needs pruning.

The story

A close relative, Delonix elata (Sanghesharo), grows naturally near rivers, streams, and ponds in Saurashtra and Gujarat, making the two easy to confuse in the field.

What it is used for

Though rarely eaten, mature seeds are a genuinely nutritious potential food source, around 48% carbohydrate, 8.7% protein, and 17.2% fat, though quite high in sodium.
Seed oil (about 17.2% of the seed) is amber-coloured and rich in linoleic acid.
A gum from the tree is used in food processing.
Nearly every part shows real medicinal activity, leaves, flowers, seeds, and bark have documented antibacterial, antidiabetic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, cardio-protective, and wound-healing effects, and it's used in folk medicine for constipation, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, pneumonia, and malaria.
A leaf extract has shown genuine cardio-protective effects, partly through improving blood flow, and supports liver and kidney function without apparent side effects.

These uses are documented for information only and are not medical advice. Always verify the species and the plant part before use.

Where it is found

Native to Madagascar, now cultivated throughout the tropics worldwide, typically in warm, humid forest from sea level to about 1,000m.

Sources

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