Hi, I bought some delonix regia or fire tree seeds with the intention of making a bonsai. I need accurate information about the optimal sowing conditions and subsequent steps after germination. Thanks!

Dear Claudia,

the delonix regia, or poinciana regia, a majestic tree native to Madagascar; the adult specimens produce a spectacular flowering, in shades of red and orange, which has earned the tree the common name of flame tree. The seeds are dark, woody and rigid, because they are covered with a sort of shell, a rigid film that prevents water from penetrating inside the seeds. In nature the fruits fall to the ground, and remain there for a few months, before germinating; to prevent them from germinating too soon, nature protects them, making them completely impermeable to water, and therefore difficult to germinate. In practice, if you simply placed the seeds directly in the ground, you would have to water them for months and months before the water can penetrate them, and then bring them to germinate.To avoid having to wait a long time, it is advisable to subject the delonix seeds to a process, which technically it is called scarification: it consists in thinning the cuticle that covers the seeds. Scarification can be carried out in various ways, the simplest is to quickly pass the seeds with very fine-grained sandpaper, in order to slightly thin the cuticle that covers them, leaving the seed inside completely undisturbed. After passing the seeds with sandpaper, soak them in water for about ten hours, and then place them in a sowing tray. For convenience, the sowing tray is prepared with a mixture of sand and peat in equal parts, watering it well before placing the seeds; then the seeds are placed on the surface and covered with very little soil, or better with a layer of vermiculite, which has the property of being very light and retaining moisture.