Hello, Some years ago, I think seven years, I've brought some seeds of a Framboyan from Havanna, Cuba, and I'm trying to bring my small tree forward, which is not easy in the environment of Germany. It seems that this year for the very first time it will get flowers now, but comparing them with other pictures in books or Internet I'm now unsure if my trees are really Framboyan or something else. Any comments? Thanks in advance. Matthias
Agree - the Poincianas are double-pinnate, and the flowers are much more strongly resemblant of Leucaena.
Hello saltcedar, Thanks for your feedback. I have had planted in 2001 seeds of both plants and there was one night a big storm who took away the small attached signs of each of the small pots and I could not remember in which was planted what. Now, seven years later it turned out that what I always counted to be a Framboyan is not :-( Any way, it is still a plant from Cuba and I will take care of it in the same way as if it would be a Framboyan. I still have a big sheath full of seeds of a Framboyan, picked up as well in 2001 or a year later. Does it make sense to try if they will grow or are they now to old and I should wait and look for a new sheath when I travel to La Habana in December? Any further hints how to deal with them are highly apreciated. Thanks in advance Matthias
I have found at home an old box of wood which contained 37 seeds and a note "semillas de framboyán, La Habana / Regla 2006". I've checked my diary and they are exactly from December 2006. I put them into boilded hot whater short after cutting off the oven (i.e. water tempratur >> 90 degrees) and I let 12 of them for 24h in this water, other 12 for 48 and the last 13 for 72h. The firts group of seeds I planted on July 15, the others on 16 and 17. After 8 days on July 23 the first grow of a yellow-white root showed up from one of the seeds planted on the 2nd day and I gave this seed a turn in the earth. I think next time it is better to put the seeds horizontal into earth. It seems that from the other seeds at least 3-4 are growing as well. See the fotos, one in the 1st row of the small earth bulbs. Will keep you posted.... Saludos, Matthias
Hello, After more then 4 weeks the result is that from the 37 seeds 7 plants came out (~20 percent). Six are growing fine while one was dying because of loosing the 1st thick leaves. Concerning the older 'framboyan' and originator of this thread, i.e. the Leucaena, it is full of these white soft balls of flor, but no fruits are showing up of any of them. Is it missing something, like another plant of other sex nearby or some special flying insect which we dont have in Europe? Thanks Matthias
Hello lorax, Could you please clarify for me what do you mean exactly with 'double-pinnate'? The leaves of the now 6 weeks old Framboyan are looking exactly like the ones of the Leucaena, and this time they are real Framboyans :-). See the foto. Thanks Matthias
Those look right, actually - the Framboyan seedlings here have the exact same aspect. As the tree matures, the foliage will become more delicate. Also, if you count you'll find an even number of pairs of leaflets on the Framboyan, and an odd number of pairs on the Leucaena.
Thanks for clarifying it. This, seeing an even number of pairs of leaflets on the Framboyan, seems to be true in general if the number is 6 or higher. I can see some smaller branches having with 5 an odd number. Matthias
