How Do Buds Grow on Royal Poinciana?

Swelling

At first the buds of the royal poinciana tree (also called the flame tree, the flamboyant tree and the peacock flower tree) are tight and small. Then they begin to swell. When the buds swell, the bud scales begin to split. Eventually this splitting reveals the main flower ball emerging from within the surrounding bud scales.

Peduncle

At this stage, the peduncle--the stalk holding up the bud--elongates and the flower ball, or bud, begins to open up. The royal poinciana tree flowers are almost ready to be pollinated by bees and other insects.

In Bloom

The royal poinciana tree, said by some to be the most colorful tree on the planet, doesn't show its full colors until the spring and summer. During this period, for just a few weeks, the royal poinciana tree's flower buds bloom into full color--a brilliant red that covers much of the tree (though also, in one variety, a gold-yellow color). The flower ball opens up completely, and bees and other insects visit them, male and female, picking up pollen from males as they move about and then distributing that pollen to females--leading to the creation of new seeds.

References

• FloriData: Royal Poinciana
• Michigan State University: Parts of a Flower
• Florida State Horticulture Society.