ISLAND PLANTS
AFRICAN TULIP TREE
Just as Royal Poincianas light up the greenery of early summer, so African Tulip trees brighten the winter months with the same bright red display. The flowers of the African Tulip tree are much larger than those of Poinciana, being both cup size and cup shape. The scarlet petals have yellow edging and two or three flowers bloom at a time from a cluster of buds, giving a long flowering season. The foliage is dense and there is no seasonal leaf fall. Like the Royal Poinciana, the African Tulip tree is quite messy, shedding brittle branch ends in high winds.
You don't see African Tulip trees in private yards very often because they are huge, often over 50 feet tall. They are not salt tolerant so this limits their use in The Bahamas. In Marsh Harbour there are many in the area of the Ministry of Works Compound, over the road from Percival Archer Square.
The African Tulip is such a striking tree that it deserves to be planted more in areas of Abaco where its large bright flowers can be appreciated from a distance. There is a yellow-flowering variety which is common in Hawaii.