เพลิงภาณุ (Illawarra Flame Tree) / 10 เม็ด (Portugal)

Familiar names include flame tree, Illawarra flame tree, lacebark tree, and kurrajong. It likes to grow coastal rainforests and also in drier forests. It is an excellent tree for planting along streets, in public parks, and private gardens. The seeds are edible and eaten raw or roasted once the hairy coat is removed. The roots are eaten from young trees. It is a host plant for pencilled blue, shining pencil-blue, common aeroplane, and tailed emperor butterflies along with parrots and other birds that eat the seeds. It can grow to 115 feet tall in its natural habitat but is usually seen shorter. It grows in the pyramidal form, mostly seen around 30-40 feet tall. The trunk is cylindrical with a green-grey color. The glossy leaves can get a foot long and 10 inches wide with variable shapes. The show starts once the leaves drop. It reveals beautiful red flowers once the leaves have fallen off the tree. They are star-shaped, about an inch long and wide on panicles. The fruits a boat-shaped containing 15-30 seeds covered in hairs. It loves full sun with average water needs once established. Birds, bees, and butterflies are attracted to it.

Germination :
Sow seeds on top of the soil and lightly cover. Keep moist in a bright spot. Do not cover with plastic and keep temperatures around 65-75 F. Germination is in 14 - 30 days.