Spathodea Campanulata

Scientific Name:  Spathodea campanulata 

Common Name: African Tulip Tree

Family:  Rutaceae ( indigenous)

Names in other languages: baton du sorcier (French), flame of the forest (English), pisse-pisse (French), tulipier du Gabon (French), fountain tree (English), fireball (English), taga mimi (English, Fiji), tiulipe (English, Tonga), tuhke dulip (English, Pohnpei), rarningobchey (English, Yap),

General Information:

Spathodea is a monotypic genus in the flowering plant family Bignoniaceae. The single species it contains, Spathodea campanulata, is commonly known as the African tulip tree. The tree grows between 7–25 m (23–82 ft) tall and is native to tropical dry forests of Africa. This tree is planted extensively as an ornamental tree throughout the tropics and is much appreciated for its very showy reddish-orange or crimson (rarely yellow), campanulate flowers. The flower bud is ampule-shaped and contains water. These buds are often used by children who play with its ability to squirt the water. The sap sometimes stains yellow on fingers and clothes. The open flowers are cup-shaped and hold rain and dew, making them attractive to many species of birds.

Features of Spathodea campanulata that make it identifiable:  

Bark is pale, grey-brown and smooth when young, but with age it turns grey-black, scaly and cracked vertically and horizontally.

Leaves opposite, compound, large, to 40 cm long, odd-pinnate, often 11-15 oblong leaflets, each 5-10 cm long.

Flowers arise from velvety, brown-green, kidney-shaped buds in terminal clusters above the canopy.  Blooms are large, cup-shaped, and brilliant orange-red, sometimes yellow, 10-12 cm long and 7 cm wide, with crinkled margins. 

Fruit (capsule) is oblong, about 16 cm long and 4 cm wide, tapered at the apex, woody; seeds are oblong and winged.

Products & Services:

Food: The seeds are edible in many parts of Africa.

Timber: It's the soft, light brownish-white wood is used for carving and making

Poison: The hard central portion of the fruit is used to kill animals.

Medicine: The bark has laxative and antiseptic properties, and the seeds, flowers and roots are used as medicine. The bark is chewed and sprayed

Shade or shelter: Recommended as a shade tree for parks and yards; it has been

Reclamation: S. campanulata helps rehabilitate disturbed lands through its quick invasion and rapid growth. It is not browsed by domestic animals and although a popular decorative tree for avenues it has shallow roots and a tendency for branches to break off in a storm.

Boundary or barrier or support: The species, either planted or growing naturally, is frequently used for living fence posts.