Dwarfed Royal Poinciana?

11 years ago

I've been searching for a true RP that won't get insanely out of hand. I know that the yellow varieties are sometimes grafted to ensure yellow color, but has anyone ever heard of using a dwarfing rootstock? We want one so badly but we don't have room for a 75 foot tall tree!

I know about Pride of Barbados but it just looks like a big weed in comparisonto the real thing.

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Comments (8)

stpete_mango
11 years ago
Never heard of dwarfing rootstock for RP. Hope there is one, and wish we had that in our front yard! We have a yellow one that's huge, and it needs to be trimmed every few years. The costs add up.
It can be messy when it is shedding leaves and flowers, and the little stems to which the leaves are attached (not sure what the proper term is) have to be raked.
Our yellow RP is bare from December till April, and blooms in July-August.
The top of the tree becomes a golden crown when it is blooming, but you have to be a few blocks away (or really tilt your head back!) to get a good look at all that beauty.
morningloree
11 years ago
I have one growing in a pot, it is not hardy in my zone, and I know to put it out in the yard will most certainly kill it. I was visiting Puerto Rico and fell in love, picked up a couple of seeds from the ground and threw them in a pot. I wish there was a way to get a patio size tree of this beauty. It is about 4 feet tall now and the extra few degrees provided by the lanai allows it to grow without a problem. I am guessing I won't be allowed to build a whole new lanai just for my tree.
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garyfla_gw
11 years ago
Hi
I tried that for many years using standard "Bonsai " techniques . While I got a nice tree under 10 feet it failed to flower.. Gave it to a neighbor who planted it in the ground . It has grown but still has not flowered and it's over 20 years old lol apparently the dwarfing is permanent?? gary
morningloree
11 years ago
I had heard the same thing, I keep myself awake at night trying to figure out what to do. I could wrap it in Christmas lights and keep adding a new section as it gets taller!
katkin_gw
11 years ago
I have a RP that is only about 25 to 30 feet tall. The recent cold winters cause a lot of branches to die, but I also keep it trimed so it doesn't get to wide. I think the cooler winter weather here then Puerto Rico keeps it from growing much taller. Would that size work for you? Since you are in PSL let me know if you want to see it.
slopfrog
Original Author
11 years ago
Hi Katkin. How often do you have to prune it? The old man at Lychee Tree nursery in Stuart told me I better not even think about relying on pruning to keep a RP under control, since the roots get as big as they want, and the imbalance between roots and canopy mewnsit'll need pruning CONSTANTLY. Is he right? 25-30 would still be a stretch. Most of my yard is consumed by fruit trees which will hopefully get bigger soon! I'm trying to plan for full size rather than current size. :)

Thanks for the offer. I may have to take you up on it but I'm just about to leave town for awhile. Maybe when I get back. :)
katkin_gw
11 years ago
I normally only prune off a few branches a year. But the two cold winters we had did some damage and I had to have several whole limbs pruned off. Now it won't need pruning for a while.

Let me know when you are back in town, if you want to see it. I do have an over sized lot for PSL.
subtrop
11 years ago
There is a dwarf RP growing at the Deerfield Beach Arboretum. Not sure if red or yellow, but it had seeds on it. I'd guess it was around 8 feet. The sign said Dwarf RP.