The African tulip tree (bot. Spathodea campanulata) belongs to the trumpet tree family and should not be confused with the tulip tree (bot. Liriodendron). These plants differ significantly from each other both in appearance and in care.

The African Tulip Tree likes it warm and sunny

The best location and the right soil

As the name suggests, the African tulip tree comes from Africa. There it grows mainly in tropical forests and savannah and transitional forests. Accordingly, it prefers a warm location and is not hardy.

He feels very comfortable in a bright, warm winter garden, but should also be outside in a warm summer. Provide your African Tulip Tree with nutrient-rich and well-drained soil. You can loosen this up with some gravel or expanded clay (€19.73). This promotes permeability and prevents waterlogging.

Water and fertilize the tulip tree properly

The African tulip tree is considered to be quite thirsty. It needs a lot of water in the summer and significantly less during the hibernation. The soil should never dry out, but there should also be no waterlogging. Due to its high nutrient requirements, you should fertilize your African Tulip Tree regularly every seven to ten days. Alternatively, you can use a long-term fertilizer, for example in the form of fertilizer sticks (€4.48).

The wintering of the tulip tree

The African tulip tree only survives temperatures close to freezing point for a short time. In general, he does not like it below + 10 °C. If it stays in the cold for too long, most root damage is the unpleasant result. We therefore recommend overwintering at at least 15 °C.

During the hibernation (from about November to March), the African tulip tree needs no fertilizer and significantly less water than in summer. It's perfectly normal if it loses a few leaves during this time.

Propagation of the African Tulip Tree

If you like, you can grow the African tulip tree yourself from seeds or cuttings. For both methods, however, you need a constant heat of around 20 °C, ideally combined with a consistently high level of humidity.

The essentials in brief:

  • bright location
  • nutrient-rich, permeable soil
  • Temperatures around 20 °C
  • high humidity
  • not hardy

tips

With its spectacular flowers, the African Tulip Tree is an ornament for every conservatory.

Category:

Trees