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UTUSN

(70,496 posts)
Sat Aug 12, 2017, 10:27 PM Aug 2017

Before & after: My baby after a rain. Hopefully what I can see someday.

At my decrepit stage of life, whatever I plant needs to be *fast* growing, so that I might take advantage of some shade and blossoms before it's too late. On the left is this year's planting, from the flea market at knee high and now getting to be waist high. It's a "royal Poinciana" and they are gluttons for water, plus they freeze. So on the right is one from 2006 that was like the current baby but ZOOMED to eaves-height with the rain from a water-disturbance that year. It has frozen three times, cut down to the ground, but the roots had reached some underground water, so it's back where it was. It took three or so years before farting out ONE bloom, but then a couple of years later was COVERED with blossoms, and last year was thick with everything (blooms and fronds) for an intense shade.

The baby after the rain looked like it was ready to flap like a chopper to fly off.

11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Before & after: My baby after a rain. Hopefully what I can see someday. (Original Post) UTUSN Aug 2017 OP
Beautiful. Lovely blooms. nt Laffy Kat Aug 2017 #1
Wow, you hit the jackpot, my dear UTUSN! CaliforniaPeggy Aug 2017 #2
Are you in Florida, the are blooming like crazy here Motley13 Aug 2017 #3
They sure are (gorgeous)!1 But fragile/delicate. But fast-growing (lots of water) UTUSN Aug 2017 #4
THAT PLANT THINKS IT IS ALL THAT Skittles Aug 2017 #5
Ha HA, it had to be you!1 -------- It's, uh, *EASY*!1 (easy to grow) UTUSN Aug 2017 #6
COULDN'T IT PICK A BETTER COLOR THAN ORANGE Skittles Aug 2017 #7
UF has good advice for pruning those trees csziggy Aug 2017 #8
What a beautiful plant! irisblue Aug 2017 #9
Spectacular blooms! Rhiannon12866 Aug 2017 #10
I'm working underneath one of those in a city park in Fort Lauderdale... Callmecrazy Aug 2017 #11

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
8. UF has good advice for pruning those trees
Sun Aug 13, 2017, 12:14 AM
Aug 2017

For instance, they might advise pruning that big branch to the left on your blooming tree. http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/trees/royal_poinciana.html

You're lucky - they won't survive up here at all.

Callmecrazy

(3,065 posts)
11. I'm working underneath one of those in a city park in Fort Lauderdale...
Sun Aug 13, 2017, 06:38 AM
Aug 2017

Beautiful tree. The crown is easily 50 feet across and in full bloom.

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