PELTOPHORUM pterocarpum (Yellow Poinciana)

Yellow Poinciana (Peltophorum pterocarpum) is the tree to plant when you want a broad canopy and a summer show of gold. It reaches about 12m tall and 10m across, spreading in flat tiered layers that throw genuine shade over a lawn or driveway, with yellow flower sprays over fine ferny foliage through the warm months. This listing is an ex ground specimen, so you buy real size on day one.

Why you'll love it

• Shade that arrives early. A fast grower with a canopy to roughly 10m across, so it covers ground in years rather than decades.
• Gold over ferny green. Yellow flower sprays sit above soft bipinnate leaves, so the canopy carries colour without reading heavy.
• Built for heat and humidity. Heat tolerant, humidity tolerant and salt tolerant, which is a rare combination in a shade tree this size.
• An Australian native that feeds wildlife. Indigenous to coastal northern Australia and tropical Asia, and the flowers bring in birds, bees and butterflies.

Where it works best

Shade tree. Allow the full 10m of canopy width clear of buildings, and give it an open lawn or paddock edge where the shade is worth having.

Driveways and avenues. Mature width is about 10m, so plant 8m to 10m apart down a drive. The crowns then meet overhead without crowding into narrow, one sided shapes.

Feature planting. One tree on a large lawn or coastal front garden reads as the centrepiece, particularly in flower.

Growing Yellow Poinciana in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. A tropical, subtropical and warm temperate tree, and frost tender, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens are out. Coastal exposure and long humid summers do not bother it.

Soil. Give it well drained soil with compost worked through a wide planting area. Break up any pan beneath the hole so roots travel down, and keep 75mm of mulch over the root zone but clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. An advanced tree carries a lot of canopy on a rebuilt root system, so deep soak twice a week through the first two summers, then taper off. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is enough.

Pruning. Prune in the warm months. Build a strong framework early by keeping one leader and removing crossing or tightly angled limbs, then lift the lower branches gradually for clearance beneath.

What to expect when it arrives

This is sold as a single ex ground specimen rather than in pot sizes. It is field grown and lifted with its root ball intact, so it arrives as an advanced tree with a formed trunk and canopy, not a young nursery plant.

Have the hole dug, the machinery organised and the site watered before it lands. Some leaf drop and a quiet first season are normal while the root system rebuilds, with strong new growth from the second warm season. Delivered Australia wide, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full ex ground tree range
• How to transplant an advanced tree successfully
• Choosing a canopy tree for real shade
• Compare other Australian native trees

Common questions

How much room does it need?

Plan for a mature canopy about 10m wide and 12m tall. Keep it well away from a house, and in an avenue allow 8m to 10m between trees so each one develops an even crown.

Will it handle frost?

No. It is frost tender, which rules out the tablelands, cold inland districts and hard frosting southern gardens. Tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens are the safe ground.

How quickly does it grow?

It is one of the faster shade trees for warm climates, and an ex ground specimen starts with height already made. Give it water and sun through the first two summers and the canopy widens noticeably each season.

Is it really an Australian native?

Yes. It occurs naturally along coastal northern Australia as well as through tropical Asia, so it counts as a native while behaving like a tropical exotic.