Help me Identify or get close to this poinciana type tree

This plant has a story! - SOLVED http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4318214
When my mother passed in 1985, I collected a few things of memoribilia, and a large package of seeds we all had collected in the early 1970's off the beach in Liberia, W. Africa where we lived at the time. In 2005, I went through the seeds, and thought ..I wonder if any of these will grow. I estimated the seed from collection time is about 32 years old not including the time it was on the ground in Africa. The seed resembles a pinto bean in size and looks.

Gardening definately throws you surprises, and true to form I was much surprised when one of the seeds sprouted.

Liberia is full of Poinciana type trees, and the leaves you will see resemble the type, only in a much larger fashion than I'm use to seeing.

These are some of the names I've collected that I thought might fit the trees descriptions so far, and I'm soliciting help by asking for more suggestions.

1) Family: Caesalpinioideae / Caesalpiniaceae
Golden Flamboyante, Yellow Flame Tree, Yellow Poinciana, Copper pod tree
Origin: India and South East Asia

2). Sesbania drummondii- the Sesbania really fits the bill, as the seeds were found on the beach, populated with hundereds of fresh water lagoons only separated by the beach to the ocean. It likes lots of moisture and boggy areas. Here is the PF link
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/77138/index.html
Also fitting the description is "coffee bean tree" - Coffee beans are about the same size as the pinto beans, so I think this is another clue. The final clue of course is if it ever blooms. Goodness knows it got PLENTY of water this last summer during our rainiest summer ever.

My tree has not yet bloomed, it was planted in the ground in 2006, and I'll post pictures for the rest of ya to examine. The tree is now about 10 feet tall, and has survived a hard freeze, with dammage. It took a while for it to re-establish this summer.

First pictue is the sprout.
We think this is solved!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4318214

This message was edited Dec 6, 2007 8:37 PM

This message was edited Dec 21, 2007 8:43 PM

This message was edited Dec 21, 2007 8:43 PM

This is 6 months old

One year old

1 year and some months

Leaf shots

More leaves and branches

And finally, skyward shots now...
it's difficult to get a full picture as it blends into the surrounding. The trunk is now about 1 inch thick.

Okay..this is it for now...

Rj

A wonderful story. Seems you are going to have phenomenal luck with it...as with all of your babies.

You've got the magic touch..ohowhoowhoo and so on and so on

Randy...how exciting!!! Does it have spines on the trunk?

Carol

Hi Carol,
no spines, thorns or sharp objects

Don't laugh, Randy. You know full well that I am the last one on earth to ID anything. However, I was looking at the ferns last night and this really has the look of a *cardboard* fern. Now I have no idea what Poinciana refers to. I know, you're laughing anyway. That's ok. Anything to make you happy.

LouC

I may have the same tree growing. It is two years old. I got the seeds from Walt Disney's Animal Kingdom. It is blooming now. It has clusters of yellow flowers. I have been trying to find out the name also. I think it may be in the mimosa family.

Here is another picture of the leaves.

Here is another picture showing a seed pod.

That looks like some sort of Senna

I agreed with Popper; it looks more like some type of senna to me. Further more, Rj was on to the right tract of Rattle bush I think. Looking at the image from pf. I was wondering frostweed could help confirming this, since she/he has similiar plant growing on her backyard. :-)
Kim

popper1, I'm almost sure that my tree is Wild Senna, aka Wild Cassia. I checked out the plant files for senna and there are a few pictures that resemble mine.I'm not sure if it is the same one as rjuddharrison's. I think his may be Peltophorum africanum. The leaves on his tree look smaller than mine. I'm sure someone will know. palmbob is very good at finding names of plants. Maybe he will know what it is.

It does look sort of Cassia golden shower type tree.

Yes, I think that does fit a good description! There were tons of poincina, senna, mimosa type cassia trees blooming all the time in many colours. Another thing in favour is "legume tree" they do look just like beans. I remember we were always picking foot long seed pods off some of the trees.
Good job! thanks for your help, now...if it survives a couple of cold nights this weekend! it doesn't like cold at all.

What a nice history for the mystery tree!
I hope it blooms this spring, maybe that will help.
Sending warm breezes your way!!
Cathy

I suspect Delonix elata. Look at this link to compare the foliage and tell me what you think.

http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/catalog/photo_db/D.htm?NumPerPage=20&NumPerLine=4&listonly=0&first=140

Is the tree deciduous?

Yes, -- it is hard to find foliage photos..but that looks the same...there were blooming trees all over the place there. It is deciduous.
so some of them must have a bigger folliage pattern than other of the same species.

thanks...I hope it blooms...the problem is, that it takes a hit in the winter and then it recovers after that..if it is a winter bloomer then it might be a problem

I want to guess! Looks like it might be a Monkey Pod tree. We had them in Hawaii.

BUBBLES!!!

How are ya?


Monkey pod tree..does it have about a foot long 1 inch wide wooden looking seed pod?

Does this look like what you have? They're beautiful, but messy! Our entire street was shaded by them....just gorgeous when they bloomed... Such a neat story too! I sure hope it survives.
Looks like you're going to have some of our little freeze Sunday night.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/64321/

Bibbubbles; I hate to burst your bubbles. lol. I raise Monkey Pod trees, and have to overwinter them indoor in my zone. Although they're no more than foot-tall, they've been giving me those lovely powder puffs flowers. Def. not the kind of tree that RJ has. His is something very exotic - the leaves must be alot more thicker, and leathery, as well as large. Monkey Pod leaves are much smaller. :-)
Kim

Hmmm..Bubbles those were the seed pods I had envisioned..
It's difficult to tell the size of the foliage with pictures..I do have a delonix flame tree...seeds I brought back from Costa Rica, and while the foliage is poinciana type...the one I have dwarfs the folliage on the delonix I have. That's not to say though that delonix don't have different sizes..I just don't know enough to say.
I do remember those seed pods from africa just like that in the picture you sent.

So you raise the Monkey pods Kim? Are they mimosa type ?

Bubbles, didn't you bring the mosquito fish this year? I think they are being fruitful and multiplying..and I'm surprised how much they stand up to the huge gold fish..I thought the gold fish might eat them..but the mosquito fish won't have any foul play at all from them.

I cheated, RJ, my local nursery shared 2 tiny cuttings of the Monkey Pods trees with me. Why? They just love me to death, for I'm so so sweet. lol.
Just kidding, (about the sweet part - that's). lol,lol.
I'll see if I can get a pic. for you. Rj.
Kim

LOL..We know who to butter up then don't we?
I'm friends with local nursery too! It's funny though after a few years here at DG, they have to have something really exotic to catch my attention now..hmm..wonder if that makes me a plant snob?...hahah

I think I can one up you Rj. I work at a garden and get free plants all the time. In fact sometimes they shove them at me. lol

lol, I hope my nursery just doesn't stock those exotic plants just to cater to my taste. lol.
Ok, here it's.

The Monkey's Pod in bloom.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4248656




This message was edited Dec 14, 2007 8:55 PM

Lily, change the http to www on your link and it will work. :~)

Okay, I'll call that, and raise you one...
hehe...I live down the street from an online plant business and have become good friends (Bubbles knows) - He calls me up, and say bring the truck, I'm overstocked...It's taken me a year to learn a word I thought I knew.
NO! That is very hard for a plant nerd like me to even think, let alone say.

Ah...I didn't realize that was a monkey pod..I have one...no..two...they came from my buddy down the street!

Yes, I brought the gambusias...and yes, they do multiply! They tend to be a little aggressive when new fish are introduced to pond too. Is that called 'short fish syndrome?' Let me know if you want any water lettuce or other water plants. We're planning to go see "Lucy" in Houston...and hook up with Kristi and Phil...sometime soon after the 1st of the year.
(Hey! I finally got a seed pod on the Clero. Minahasse I bought from Zone 9 Trop.! And I haven't killed the two jade vines...yet...but no blooms.)
As for the monkey pods...I honestly can't remember the size of the foliage (too many yrs ago), or the botanical name. I just remember they were huge trees that covered the street on each side and we could hear the cars crunching the pods at all hours. They weren't any Mimosa trees that I've seen. Neighbors always complained because they were so messy.

In tropical climate, I understand that it would grow very tall. I'll keep these in pot and see when I need to ship them out to a warmer climate when I can't haul them around no longer. lol
Kim

My Mom has a small Monkey Pod table approx 2' X 18" that came from Hawaii in the 60's. It's probably 4" thick. She has another peice that hasn't been made into anything yet. They are very pretty, heavy too!

Monkey Pods are VERY fast growers and they gobble up EVERYthing in the soil!!! They are also called Rain Trees: the epiphytes are protected from the sun by their open leaves, and at night when the trades bring rain, the leaves close up so the rain can get to the epiphytes...

Randy...you are going to have to buy another half acre to grow that puppy!!!

Rj, would you kindly take ine my two? They're smaller now, but I haven't the room for them. lol.
Kim

If yours is truely a Monkey Pod....hang on!!! This one is 3 years old: one year in a pot from seed and two in the ground!!! Bob and Thelma posing for size relevance...Thelma is a 100lb lab mix and Bob is 6j'2.

Carol,
It's a beautiful tree. But they can't handle our winter here, although we've but a short little so called "3 days winter". sob sob. I can only enjoy them while they're little, then planned on shipping them to someone whose climate is more conducive for them. :-)
Kim