The Gulmohar tree is considered one of the most beautiful tropical plants in the world. Gulmohar trees are large, deciduous, and flowering plants. The tree has a subtle fragrance and a lovely appearance.
Gulmohar tree is one of the very popular outdoor plants in India. Though the native of this plant is Madagascar, it perfectly adjusts to the tropical Indian weather.
Gulmohar tree scientific name is Delonix Regia. It is also known by several other names as well. The common names of Gulmohar are royal poinciana, Mayflower tree, flamboyant tree, peacock tree, flame tree, and Krishna Chura.
Summer is the Gulmohar tree flowering season that retains till the monsoon. The flowers of Gulmohar have four orange petals of the same size and the fifth petal is a little bigger and has yellow and white spots on it. It also has strands in the middle of the flower.
In the morning, every Gulmohar plant has spread a flower petal bed which is a sight to behold. Gulmohar tree leaves look like ferns but they are more delicate.
If you want to grow this Gulmohar tree, then here we have compiled all the information you need to know about the Gulmohar plant.
How to Grow Gulmohar Tree:
There are two ways to propagate the Gulmohar tree. From seeds and from the cutting.
1. From Seeds
To grow the plant from seeds, you have to follow the Scarification process. In this way, you help the seeds to weaken the out coating so that the saplings come out easily. It is a way to make the seeds more penetrable and easier to germinate. In this way, the water will go inside the seeds and induce the sprouting process.
For that process, you have to soak the seeds in the warm water for 10-15 minutes and then sow them directly in the soil. Otherwise, you can use a clipper to nick the seeds and immediately plant them on the soil.
2. From the Cutting
Gulmohar propagation is popular through cutting as well.
Take a healthy stem to cut, sow and grow the branch. Make sure that the branch must be 1 ft in size and looks fresh and free from any pest or disease. Now plant it in the potting mix or cocopeat.
The cutting propagation is a relatively easier and faster method than the seeds as you don’t need to wait for long. The only drawback is that there is a lesser scope of success in cutting propagation.
Soil Preparation for Gulmohar Tree:
The soil must provide enough warmth which is suitable for this tropical plant. As Madagascar is native to this plant but surprisingly, this plant has adapted to the Indian soil smoothly.
When you see the saplings of the Gulmohar tree, you need to start to prepare the soil so that you can transfer them from the seedbox.
To prepare the soil for this plant, you need to maintain the pH range between 6.5 to 7.5. There should not be any water clogging problem in the tree. So, make it well-draining.
To make the soil fertile, you need to add compost that will help the plant to grow. In the initial stage of the plant, you need to add the right amount of fertilizer to the plant. Too much fertilizer can burn the leaves of the plants.
Location of Gulmohar Plant:
When the saplings start to grow into plants, the Gulmohar tree starts to increase its height and spread rapidly. The crown of the tree needs lots of room and space to spread in the right way. For that reason, it is always advisable to plant the tree in an open space.
Plant Gulmohar tree where it will receive abundant sunlight.
Along with that, one Gulmohar tree disadvantage is that it is shallow-rooted. For that reason, in times of strong winds or storms, there is a huge scope of uprooting of a large tree. So, while selecting the location of this plant, you need to make sure that it does not face a windstorm.
Moreover, as Gulmohar does not hold well to the soil, there should not be houses or any construction nearby; otherwise, it may damage by the strong wind.
Watering of Gulmohar Plant:
In the initial stage, you have to water the plant daily and keep the soil moist. It does not mind overwatering but underwatering is something that can harm the plant especially when it is young.
Increase the watering span in summer when the bloom time of the plant comes. On the other hand, you can reduce the watering during the winter season. When the tree is well planted in the soil and established properly, you don’t need to worry much about watering.
Sunlight requirement of Gulmohar Plant:
To grow, the Gulmohar tree needs at least 6 hours of sunlight.
Though this plant can sustain heavy rainfall for days, sunlight can make this plant happy. While selecting the spot, keep in mind that it receives enough sunlight throughout the year.
Right Temperature for Gulmohar Plants:
A temperature above 7.0℃ is suitable for the Gulmohar tree.
As tropical plants, Gulmohar plants thrive in warm weather. Along with that, it also loves humidity.
Places that are known as the hot belt in India see remarkably good growth of the Gulmohar tree. Though, this tree does well in almost every corner of India; it cannot survive drought and frost.
Fertilization:
When the plant is young, you can fertilize it with organic manure once every three weeks. After the plant reaches its mature state; you just need to fertilize it annually during the growing season. The balance fertilization will help the plant in flowering.
Pruning of Gulmohar Plant:
Gulmohar tree is a fast grower. It can grow up to feet every year until it becomes mature.
To get the right shape; you need to prune it regularly; especially in the growing stage of the plant. At this stage, the branches of the plant stay soft. Pruning also helps to strengthen roots.
When it becomes mature, you don’t need to think about pruning.
Pests and Diseases of Gulmohar Tree:
Gulmohar plant is very much resistant to pests and diseases. Moreover, it does not have any pests or bugs either.
Importance of Gulmohar Plants:
Ornamental Value: The blooming Gulmohar is a true piece of beauty. Many people love to add this plant to their garden to enhance the beauty of the place.
For that reason, you will find, that many municipalities and corporations plant Gulmohar trees on the roadsides. Apart from the beautiful flowers, it also provides shade in the hot and sunny areas.
Cultural Value: Gulmohar plant is considered a sacred tree in Kerala. This flower does not only hold importance in India, it is immensely popular in other countries as well. In Selangor and Malaysia, this flower is known as the city flower.
Use of Gulmohar Tree:
Medicinal Use:
1. Gulmohar tree is gifted with many medicinal properties. It can be used as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antimalarial, gastro-protective, cardio-protective along with wound healing properties.
2. The Gulmohar tree leaves are anti-diabetic. The methanol extract of these leaves is used to reduce the glucose level in the blood.
3. The Gulmohar tree leaves have potential hepatoprotection.
4. The leaves of the plants have anti-diarrheal properties.
5. It has flavonoid that helps to protect the health of the liver.
6. The essential oil extracted from the leaves of Gulmohar trees has antifungal properties.
7. In any ancient and folk medicine, the plant is used to cure many physical conditions such as constipation, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation, diabetes, malaria, and pneumonia.
8. This plant is used for soil rehabilitation.
9. It can also help to fix atmospheric nitrogen.
Commercial Use:
1. The wood of the Gulmohar plant is used as fuel. The calorific value of this wood is 4600kcal/kg.
2. The flowers of Gulmohar are used to feed the bee in bee cultivation.
3. This plant produces thick gum which is water-soluble. This natural gum is used as the binding agent for the furniture manufacturing and textile industry.
4. From the seeds, we get Pangam Oil which is very useful in the tanning industry.
5. The hard and elongated seeds of the Gulmohar plant are often used as beads to make jewelry.
Disadvantages of Gulmohar Trees:
There are not many disadvantages of Gulmohar trees. The only problem with this plant is that it takes lots of space in the garden. The crown spread of this tree is very tough to control. Along with that, the shallow roots make this plant vulnerable to strong winds and storms.
It is one of the oldest ornamental trees in the Indian civilization. So, if you have a garden and want to have a tree that will bloom all summer, then you must choose the Gulmohar tree. When it will have full bloom, it will definitely be the pride of your garden. Hope, the tips shared in this post will help you to grow the Gulmohar plant in your garden.
