Another tree that’s blooming its heart out is the African Tulip tree/Spathodea campanaluta. I wish I hadn’t waited that long to photograph this tree. The day I noticed the blooms was also the day my camera wasn’t with me. Rare thing to happen, but it was one of those days!:) So on Friday when I set out, it started to rain, the skies were grey, and this was the best I could get rolling down the car windows.
One of the world’s most spectacular flowering trees, African tulip tree is a large upright tree with glossy deep green pinnate leaves and glorious orange scarlet flowers. It may grow to 80 ft on an ideal site, but most specimens are much smaller. The tree has a stout, tapering, somewhat buttressed trunk covered in warty light gray bark. The lateral branches are short and thick. The 1-2 ft long opposite leaves, which emerge a bronzy color, are massed at the ends of the branches. They are composed of 5-19 deeply veined oval leaflets. The horn shaped velvety olive buds appear in upturned whorls at the branch tips. A few at a time, the buds of the lowest tier bend outward and open into big crinkled red orange tuliplike bells with red streaked gold throats, frilly yellow edges, and four brown-anthered stamens in the center. They are followed by 5-10 in green brown fingerlike pods pointing upwards and outwards above the foliage. Each of these pods contains about 500 tissue papery seeds. The tree flowers in spurts all through the growing season, but peak bloom is usually in the spring. Source.
A recent addition to one of my flower beds. This photo of a cluster of star phlox was taken before the rains came on Thursday. As I type this, the skies are mostly clear and the sun is out but these were battered by the rain and look nothing like the photo above. I hope it’ll regain its former glory in no time!
I was at my sister’s and couldn’t resist photographing raindrops on her plants. One of the popular crotons grown in gardens here..rain-drenched!
Hollyhocks in two colours. Hmm…I must grow them too!!
To see the most beautiful blooms from around the world, please visit Today’s Flowers at http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com
My thanks to the TF team: Santilli-Pupo-Denise-Sandy Carlson
Wish you all a wonderful Sunday!
Terra farmer 
That’s lovely, the African tulip. It reminds me of the lovely Flames of the forest! I love Hollyhocks for their huge blooms in clusters. What a sight!
What a pretty tree, even in the rain. I love your new phlox and the hollyhocks are a favorite of mine. Have a nice day.
i didn’t know this is called an African tulip tree. i’ve seen these vibrant flowers in a golf course near the track oval where i run. gorgeous color! you’ve posted beautiful flowers!
Today’s Flowers @ Live in the Moment
What a lovely tree, the colour is gorgeous! I also loved your Star Phlox, again it is the delicious colour which attracts me.
Hollyhocks are beautiful flowers and very much a feature of the quintessential English country garden. Unfortunately they only seem to last a short time in my garden but I am sure that is something to do with me rather than the plant 😉
love the star phlox!
Lovely blooms! You have a beautiful garden.
Wonderful pictures!
I have never seen a tulip tree. My favorite is the star phlox.
That African Tulip Tree must be spectacular in person!!! I love the hollyhocks, they don’t look quite like ours here. Your star phlox is beautiful, I didn’t know there was a variety like that.
What a beautiful tree! I’ve never seen anything like it before.
And I love flowers with raindrops clinging to them. Yours are so colourful and happy-looking. How is your sister?
Hugs from far far away,
Lovely shots. The African tulip tree is just so exotic and colorful!
Beautiful Shots! Awesome… African Tulip tree…Loved the Star Phlox. Even my Hollyhocks are growing strong as off now. Shd last for a couple of days more into summer.
A wonderful collection of flowers. Hollyhocks are a favorite of mine.
Gorgeous blooms…
thanks for sharing these beauties and dropping by…
Hope the “star phlox ” have regain their beauty … they look awesome in the pic. Those African Tulip are gorgeous too – even though it was raining n cloudy !!
The star phlox flowers are looking stunning. I have never seen or heard about African Tulip tree before. It’s looking to be an interesting tree. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post.
the african tulips are so bright that they look good despite the grey weather shots!
your phlox are lovely. do you have other colours as well?
That’s the sweetest phlox I have seen! And so pretty too. Yup plant hollyhock. Both are lovely. Have a great week Kanak.
African tulip tree, wow! It´s a pitty it can´t grow in Sweden… So beutiful!
Quantas flores lindas você tem aí! Cores magníficas!
I have never of heard of African tulip tree before, but the flowers are gorgeous! Your photos are amazing..
I have never seen a tulip tree in bloom. Very nice photos!
Dear Kanak; you certainly have the most beautiful blooms. The softly coloured phlox is so pretty, like a delicate sugar concoction.Always love the raindrops on plants, very special to me. Lovely Hollyhocks, like them but they never liked me or my climate!
But, I grow many of the beautiful Tulip trees, spathodea; I planted them on a terraced area so I can look from above onto their flowering crowns.