Schizolobium parahyba (Brazilian Fern Tree, Brazilian Fire-Tree, Tower Tree, Mexican Fern Tree, Yellow Jacaranda, Reach for the Sky, Guapuruvu)
Botanical Information
| Family | Fabaceae |
| Genus | Schizolobium |
| Species | parahyba |
| Synonyms | Caesalpinia parahyba,. Cassia parahyba, Schizolobium amazonicum,. Schizolobium excelsum, Schizolobium glutinosum, Schizolobium kellermanii Pittier |
| Category | Tropicals, Woody |
| Type | Tree (deciduous) |
| References | Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2019-06-06. |
| Origin | South America including Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. Also in Central America from Panama to southern Mexico. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses Disclaimer | It can be grown for fuel (annual wood production can be up to 20 tonnes per hectare) or as a pioneer to restore woodland. |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 9b - 11 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | Requires cold season protection under glass. |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H3 - H1c |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°C) | (-3.8) to above 4.5 |
| Temperature (°F) | 25 - 40 |
| Height | 20 - 35 m |
| Spread | 5 m |
| Growth | Fast |
| Flowering Period | April, May, June |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | A deciduous tree with a wide-spreading and flat-topped crown. |
| ID Characteristic | The tree has brittle branches that break off easily in the wind. |
| Shape | A non-branching tree and topped by distinctive fern tree-like crown when young. Mature tree has a sparse open crown. |
| Landscape | The tree is very fast-growing and also fixes atmospheric nitrogen. It is an excellent choice for restoring land to forest and for establishing woodland gardens. |
| Propagation | By stem cuttings and seeds. |
| Cultivation | Grow best in a sunny position, and in a well drained, moist, loamy to clay soil. Established trees are drought tolerant, and prefers a fertile soil, but can succeed in soils of low fertility. |
| Notable Specimens | Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida, United States of America. |
| Habitat | Atlantic rainforest, most commonly in open, secondary formations, preferring valley bottoms, alluvial plains and along rivers, forming dense groups in hillside depressions |
| Bark/Stem Description | A straight cylindrical stem; it can be 60 - 80 cm in diameter. |
| Leaf Description | Large pinnately-compound leaves up to 1 m in length consisting of 15-20 pairs of elliptical leaflets 2-3 cm in length. |
| Flower Description | Golden yellow flowers produced in racemes. |
| Fruit Description | A brown, hard, 8-12 cm long, turn black and crack open when mature to release single oval flattened seed. |
Photographs
Schizolobium parahyba, form, Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida, United States of America.
Schizolobium parahyba, bark, Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida, United States of America.
Schizolobium parahyba, bark, Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida, United States of America.