I'd been labouring under the false impression that the rapidly growing exotic tree in our garden, carefully planted by a native of South Africa's KwaZulu Natal province, was an indigenous species. I'd also been labouring under the (false) impression it was called a Flame Tree, or a Flamboyant.

Nope, it's an African Tulip Tree

And the African Tulip Tree most definitely is not a Flame Tree or a Flamboyant. Those are otherworldly beautiful trees which simply get covered in rich vermilion coloured flowers, and are often planted in rows along city streets to create a canopy of colour. I've been waiting for a chance to get some shots of Lusaka streets lined with these trees - they truly are magnificent.

But back to the Tulip Tree in our garden.

I clambered up the stepladder to get a better idea of what its flowers look like close up:

They are insanely beautiful, with the most fascinating buds.

Can you see how those flowers are emerging from the buds outside? I've been tracking these buds for about a week now. Those flowers above emerged yesterday from about a week's worth of this....

A bit higher up in the tree, there are some newer buds, to give you an idea of where that spectacular flower comes from.

The treetop already has a number in flower already. This was as good as I could get from the top of the stepladder.

How awesome is that combination of green and vermilion against that brilliant blue sky?

I had to learn more about it

Once I had confirmed it's a Tulip Tree and not a Flame Tree, I found a couple of informative sites. Remember what I said about our tree having been planted by a KwaZulu Natal native? Here's what this KZN local newsletter had to say about it.

What is its invasive status in South Africa? This is a category 3 NEMBA plant and one which most people will be surprised to see on the list.

Where in South Africa is it a problem? KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

Why is it a problem? It has the potential to spread widely in KZN and may therefore no longer be sold or traded in any way. It may transform natural habits and can be found invading a number of local conservation areas.

How does it spread? It spreads via wind-dispersal seeds and from root suckers and cuttings.

Okeedoke, then.

How about this friendlier site?

What is an African tulip tree? Native to Africa’s tropical rainforests, African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata) is a big, impressive shade tree that grows only in the non-freezing climates of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and above. Want to know more about this exotic tree? Interested in knowing how to grow African tulips [sic] trees?

That same site addresses the question of whether the African Tulip Tree is invasive or not.

A cousin to the rambunctious trumpet vine, African tulip tree tends to be invasive in tropical climates, such as Hawaii and southern Florida, where it forms dense thickets that interfere with native growth. It is less problematic in drier climates like southern California and central or northern Florida.

Translation: not really in the South African province of Gauteng - although the site doesn't mention anything about the tree's thirstiness. Most alien species in this province get into trouble because they drink too much, and we just don't have that much water to spare around here.

So now we know what our tree is

And I'll keep tracking the emergence of those amazing flowers, stepladder and weather willing.

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