Seed preparation
Peacock flower seed has a hard coat that slows water uptake. Treat seeds and pods as poisonous: keep them away from children and pets and wash your hands after handling.
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Shrub growing guide
Peacock flower, also called pride of Barbados or dwarf poinciana, is a fast tropical shrub with fiery orange-red flowers. Nick the seed, sow it warm, and keep seeds and pods away from children and pets: they are poisonous.
Peacock flower seed has a hard coat that slows water uptake. Treat seeds and pods as poisonous: keep them away from children and pets and wash your hands after handling.
Recommended. Rub a small patch of the seed coat on sandpaper, on the side opposite the small scar where the seed was attached, until the paler layer shows. In trials this raised germination from about 61% for untreated seed to about 70%.
Not needed. The seed has no cold requirement; it is a tropical plant.
Not recommended on its own. A 24-hour water soak without nicking lowered germination to about 48% in the same trial. If you soak scarified seed, keep it short and sow as soon as it swells.
Keep the seed warm, ideally near 30 °C (86 °F). It was tested from 15 to 45 °C (59-113 °F); 30 °C gave the best germination and 45 °C stopped it completely. In India sow in the warm months before or during the rains; in cooler climates sow indoors on a warm windowsill or heat mat.
Press the seed into the mix and cover it with a thin layer, about its own thickness.
A free-draining seed mix. The plant tolerates sand, loam or clay and acid to alkaline soil, but not poor drainage.
Keep the mix just moist. Wet, airless mix rots the seed and later causes root rot.
No light is needed under the thin cover. Give seedlings full sun as soon as they emerge to prevent stretching.
In trials germination levelled off within 20 days; scarified seed comes up first.
Move seedlings into their own deep pots once they have a few true leaves, disturbing the roots as little as possible. Plant out in warm weather into a sunny spot with good drainage.
Growth is rapid. Water deeply when the top of the soil dries, then let it dry again; feed lightly. Hot, humid weather and full sun bring the best flowering.
Plants reach 3-6 m (10-20 ft) tall and 2-3.5 m (6-12 ft) wide in the tropics; leave room, and keep the prickly stems away from paths.
Full sun gives the most flowers; it accepts partial shade with fewer blooms. Good drainage matters more than soil type.
Water deeply but infrequently in the growing season. Established plants tolerate some drought.
Prune to keep a compact shape; it regrows quickly. Wear gloves because of the prickles.
Seed dried to about 7% moisture kept its quality for 270 days in storage. Collect dry pods and store the seeds in a dry, closed container out of reach of children.
Nick the seeds and sow them warm for a fast, fiery-flowered tropical shrub.
Yes. Seeds and pods contain tannins and the leaves contain hydrogen cyanide. Do not eat any part of the plant and keep it away from children and pets.
Nick or sand the seed coat instead. In a germination trial a 24-hour soak on its own lowered germination, while light scarification raised it.
Yes, in a large, free-draining pot in full sun. Water deeply when the top of the mix dries and protect it from frost.
