The Royal Poinciana is a tropical deciduous tree native to
Madagascar. It is also called "Flame Tree". It is not clear when this tree was
first introduced into Amami, but today it is pretty popular as a garden plant.
It belongs to the pea family.
The clear vermilion flowers with five petals, which are ten to
twelve centimeters in diameter, bloom from early summer to mid Autumn. The light
green tint of the leaves
and the vermilion of the flowers form a clear contrast and shine vividly against
the sky. In Amami, the flowers seem to be in full bloom from early to mid
September.
The Japanese name "Ho-oh-boku" as well as the English names
"Royal Poinciana", "Flame Tree" and "Peacock Flower" are all likely to come from
the shape of the flower. Interestingly, there is even another English name for it,"Flamboyant".
