African tuliptree

Spathodea campanulata

The African tuliptree (Spathodea campanulata) is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to tropical Africa and widely cultivated elsewhere. Its foliage is a deep green and the five-petalled flowers have bright orange to red-orange petals. Beautiful blooms appear in mid-spring from bright pink buds and the long seedpods are reminiscent of tulips. It is both drought and frost tolerant, thrives in full sun and requires little in the way of supplemental water or fertilizer once established. African tuliptrees are an excellent choice for landscaping, providing ornamental interest and providing shade.