Royal Poinciana Trees, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida

Royal poinciana is the fast, wide-crowned flame tree that does well in SW Florida, best as a big-yard specimen that turns scarlet-orange in bloom from late spring into summer. It needs open ground and a mild winter. Give it room for a canopy 40 feet across and roots that run shallow. We deliver and plant 25 and 45 gallon trees.

Light:: Full sun
Water:: Low to moderate; regular while young, drought tolerant once established
Salt:: Moderate, handles some salt spray

Text Me a Planted Price Call (239) 799-5594

Royal Poinciana sizes we deliver and plant

Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.

Plant	Sizes
Royal Poinciana	25 Gallon, 45 Gallon

Royal Poinciana in SW Florida, at a glance

Mature size here: 30 to 40 ft tall, with an umbrella canopy 40 to 50 ft wide
Light: Full sun
Water: Low to moderate; regular while young, drought tolerant once established
Salt tolerance: Moderate, handles some salt spray
Cold tolerance: Tender. Foliage burns around 32°F and a hard freeze can kill young trees; coastal Lee and Collier are the safest sites
Growth rate: Fast
Florida native: No, native to Madagascar
Botanical name: Delonix regia

Where Royal Poinciana works in a SW Florida yard

Royal poinciana belongs on a big, open lawn, a corner lot or the middle of a large front yard, well away from the house, pool and pavement. The feathery leaves cast light, filtered shade, so grass and groundcovers still grow underneath. It is deciduous, thinning or dropping its leaves in late winter and leafing out before the flower show.

Plumbago and blue daze at the edge of the canopy give the scarlet blooms a cool color to play against, and a few sabal palms add year-round structure.

Large-yard specimen tree
Wide summer shade
Flowering focal point
Open lawn or corner lot

How our crew plants it

Dig the hole two to three times as wide as the root ball and no deeper, and set the root flare an inch or two above the soil. Plant at least 20 feet from the house, pool, septic field and pavement, and 30 feet is better. Stake the tree with three stakes or guy lines for the first year.

We water it in and clean up. Lee and Collier let new plantings be watered beyond the usual two assigned days, so the tree gets frequent soakings at first, then tapers off.

Care after planting

Water new trees often under the extra allowance Lee and Collier give new plantings, then back off to your assigned two days.
Established trees need little irrigation, and royal poinciana flowers best when it stays slightly dry.
Fertilize lightly in spring and fall with a slow-release product that includes micronutrients, and use nothing containing nitrogen or phosphorus from June 1 to September 30.
Have limbs thinned and crowded branches removed while the tree is young, because wind breaks heavy limbs.
Rake up the long seed pods and pull seedlings that sprout nearby.

What to watch for

UF/IFAS rates royal poinciana 'caution, manage to prevent escape' in South Florida because seedlings can sprout from fallen pods, so plant it in a managed yard rather than beside a preserve or mangrove shoreline and rake up the pods.
UF/IFAS rates its wind resistance medium to low, so its shallow roots and heavy limbs call for planting it well clear of the house.
Leaf-chewing caterpillars can thin the canopy in summer, and a healthy tree normally leafs back out.

Royal Poinciana questions we hear

How big does a royal poinciana get in SW Florida?+

Plan on 30 to 40 feet tall with a canopy 40 to 50 feet wide, so the tree is usually broader than it is tall. It grows fast, putting on a few feet a year with regular water. That spread is why it needs a large, open yard.

How far from the house should I plant a royal poinciana?+

At least 20 feet from the house, pool, septic field and pavement, and 30 feet is safer. The roots run shallow and wide, and heavy limbs can break in storms. Put it where the canopy has open sky and nothing underneath that roots can lift.

When does royal poinciana bloom?+

In SW Florida it blooms from late spring into early summer, roughly May through July. The tree thins out in late winter, then leafs out before flowering. Young trees can take a few years to bloom, and the 45 gallon size usually flowers sooner than the 25 gallon.

Can a royal poinciana survive a freeze in Fort Myers or Lehigh Acres?+

A light frost burns the foliage, and a hard freeze can kill a young tree, so coastal Lee and Collier are the safer sites. Inland areas like Lehigh Acres get colder nights. Plant in a sheltered spot and cover young trees on frost nights.

Is royal poinciana a good tree for hurricanes?+

Not the strongest choice. UF/IFAS rates its wind resistance medium to low, and survival has varied from storm to storm. Thinning the crown while the tree is young helps, and so does planting it well away from the house. If wind is your main worry, live oak or sabal palm hold up better.

How much does it cost to have a royal poinciana planted?+

Price depends on the tree size, how many you want and access to the planting spot. We text a planted price, usually within the hour during the day. Half down holds the plants and a delivery day.

Updated October 2026