Wood Species Guide
Royal Poinciana
Delonix regia
Also called: Flamboyant, Flamboyán, Malinche, Flame Tree, Peacock Flower, Gulmohar, Flame of the Forest
About the name “Royal Poinciana”
Flame tree and flame of the forest are also used for other flowering trees, such as the African tulip tree and Butea.
What Royal Poinciana looks like
Heartwood is a pale yellow-brown, sometimes with darker streaks. The wood is plain compared to the flowers the tree is famous for.
Grain and texture
Coarse texture with an open, fibrous grain. The wood is light and soft.
Working Royal Poinciana: planing, cutting and gluing
Soft and easy to cut, but it is brittle and can tear and fuzz instead of cutting cleanly. Very sharp tools help. It does not hold screws well.
Finishing Royal Poinciana: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Absorbs finish quickly, so a sanding sealer or a first thinned coat helps even things out. If you pour epoxy against it, seal first because the open grain releases a lot of air.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Weak and not durable. It rots and attracts insects quickly once cut, so dry it fast and keep it indoors. The trees themselves are prone to breaking in storms.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
People love their poinciana trees, so we often get asked whether a fallen one is worth milling. Honestly, the wood is soft, weak and plain, so it is better for a keepsake than a dining table. Small slabs can make a nice wall piece, a sign or a stabilized resin project. If it has spalted, seal it well and stabilize it before you work it.
Common uses for Royal Poinciana
Firewood, keepsakes, small decorative pieces and resin castings.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices. It is a common planted landscape tree in Florida.
Safety and toxicity
- No common reactions reported
Few reports. No reactions to the wood or its dust have been documented that we could find; the known allergy concern is the tree's pollen, not the lumber.
- In the shop
- Normal dust collection + mask; respirator for spalted pieces
- Food contact
- Not recommended for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
No specific reactions are well documented. Use normal dust precautions, especially with spalted wood.
Royal Poinciana in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Royal Poinciana listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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