AFRICAN TULIP: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, PROPERTIES, USES, CARE - BIOLOGY - 2025

The African tulip (Spathodea campanulata) is a very striking tree belonging to the Bignoniaceae family. It is commonly known as African tulip, llama of the forest, poppy, mampolo, Gabon tulip tree, mahogany of santo, gallito, espatodea or galeana, among others.

It is an evergreen and deciduous tree that grows to around 15 m, with dense foliage, a compact and globose crown, and dark green, compound and odd-pinnate leaves. It has very showy red-orange flowers, bell-shaped and fleshy. Its fruit is dehiscent and has an oblong-elliptical capsule shape, while its winged seeds are heart-shaped.

Spathodea campanulata tree. Source: wikimedia commons.

It is native to Africa, but has been introduced in many especially tropical and subtropical countries. It grows up to 2000 meters above sea level, in places with annual rainfall between 1300 and 2000 mm, and where the annual temperature ranges between 27 ° C and 30 ° C.

It has medicinal properties such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, and other effects as an insecticide. Its main use is ornamental, in reforestation plans and as a shade crop for species that require it, for example coffee.

characteristics

Appearance

-Species: Spathodea campanulata.

Some synonyms for this species are: Bignonia tulipifera, Spathodea campanulata subsp. congolana, Spathodea campanulata subsp. nilotica, Spathodea danckelmaniana, Spathodea tulipifera.

Flowers and fruit formation of the African tulip. Source: wikimedia commons

Habitat and distribution

It is a species native to Africa that has been introduced in many countries, especially in tropical and subtropical countries.

Specifically this tree is found in Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cameroon, Kenya, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Hawaii, Philippines, Vietnam, United States, Jamaica, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Barbados, Margarita Island, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, among others.

The altitudinal range in which it grows is located between 0 and 2000 meters above sea level. The annual precipitation regime in the areas where it grows is between 1300 and 2000 mm, and the annual temperature is between 27 and 30 ° C. It prefers rich soils, poor in lime, sandy, well drained and with a pH between 4.5 and 8.

It preferably grows under direct light and on acid and limestone soils. It is a fast growing tree. Its longevity is between 36 and 60 years of life.

It is found in the wild growing in secondary forests, highland forests, riparian forests, deciduous forests, transitional forests or savannas.

The African tulip is a very showy species. Source: wikimedia commons

Properties

Antioxidant activity

The flowers of this tree have a good free radical reducing activity. The ethanolic extracts of the leaves produce antioxidant activity in vitro against nitric oxide and superoxide radicals.

Antimicrobial activity

Methanolic extracts from Spathodea campanulata and other species such as Commelina diffusa have shown some antifungal activity against Trichophyton species.

On the other hand, the extracts of the African tulip together with those of Tridax procumbens have shown antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria that cause mastitis in bovines. Furthermore, these extracts have also significantly inhibited bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae.

Likewise, extracts from the leaves of the African tulip have shown inhibitory activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae even greater than the antibiotic streptomycin which is used against this microorganism. They also showed inhibitory activity against Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium.

Fruit of the African tulip. Source: wikimedia commons

Hypoglycemic activity

Stem bark decoction showed hypoglycemic activity in mice that were induced diabetes by streptozotocin. This preparation lowers glucose levels in the blood, but it does not have an effect on insulin levels.

Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities

The ethanolic extracts of the leaves of Spathodea campanulata, can provide an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect on painful inflammatory conditions in rats induced by carrageenan.

Insecticidal effect

Apparently, some compounds in the African tulip flowers, especially the constituents of its nectar such as carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, terpenoids, steroids, and volatile substances such as 1-octen-3-ol and 1-octen-3-one which can be perceived the same as pheromones of insects, they could act as insecticides for animals that do not have a pollinator function.

In this sense, the mortality of bees, ants and mosquitoes after entering the flowers has been associated with the effect of these substances together with the presence of a mucilaginous substance within young flowers and flower buds.

Taking these data into account, an investigation was carried out on the possible control of the weevil Sitophilus zeamais in Brazil, the results of which showed that the effect of applying pure nectar managed to control 89% of the population of these insects.

Other uses

It is used primarily as an ornamental, forage, living fence, and for shade. It is usually planted in parks, at the entrances to bridges, or on hills.

The African tulip tree is widely used as an ornamental. Source: Wouter Hagens

The flowers are eaten in Thailand, the young leaves are added to soups in Nigeria, while the seeds are eaten in various parts of Africa. Children use their flowers as squirt guns to play with.

It is also used from an environmental point of view to reforest, control erosion, and for crops that require shade such as coffee. However, it has been a species considered invasive in some places such as Hawaii, Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa.

In Singapore it is used to make paper, and in West Africa it is used to make drums. Whereas, in West Africa wood is used for carving.

In Ethiopia it is used as firewood and to produce charcoal, however, the firewood is difficult to ignite. This tree is used for fire resistant landscaping.

Chemical compounds

Some important chemical compounds of this bignoniaceae are: ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, caffeic acid, kaempferol, sitosterol, ajugol, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins and phenols.

Care

Location

Regarding its location on streets and avenues, care must be taken as the fleshy flowers of this tree become slippery and affect both pedestrians and vehicles. It also happens with the fruits, which fall massively.

Its location in public spaces is important since its branches are very sensitive to falling due to the action of the wind, which could cause accidents.

The flowers and fruits of the African tulip can impair the mobility of pedestrians and cars. Source: B.Navez

Temperature

Regarding temperature, it should be noted that it is a species susceptible to cold, therefore its cultivation is limited to tropical or subtropical areas.

Spread

Its cultivation is made from seeds and its growth occurs quickly. The fruits must be collected between February and May, at which time the capsules open and the seeds begin to disperse.

In the germination process, the seeds are placed in a mixture of sand and soil, broadcast, and superficially covered.

Depending on the viability of the seeds, germination can be between 60% to 84% and occurs between 54 and 75 days after sowing.

The seedlings are ready for potting conditions 15 days after germination. Then, they can be kept in shady conditions for 8 days and apply a base fertilization while they reach a development suitable for being taken to the field.

References

1. Catalog of Life: Annual Checklist. 2019. Species details: Spathodea campanulata Beauv. Taken from: catalogueoflife.org
2. Virtual catalog of flora of the Aburrá Valley. 2014. Spathodea campanulata. Taken from: catalogofloravalleaburra.eia.edu.co
3. Sánchez de Lorenzo-Cáceres, JM 2011. Spathodea campanulata Beauv. Taken from: arbolesornamentales.es
4. Lim, TK 2013. Spathodea campanulata. In: Edible medicinal and non-medicinal plants: volume 7, Flowers. Springer. London. P. 559-569. Taken from: books.google.co.ve
5. Paiva-Franco, D., Guerreiro, JC, Ruiz, M., Goncalves, R. 2015. Evaluation of the insecticidal potential of the nectar of Spathodea campanulata (Bignoniaceae) on Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Colombian Journal of Entomology 41 (1): 63-67.
6. Rojas, F., Torres, G. 2009. Trees of the Central Valley of Costa Rica: reproduction. Flame of the forest. Kurú: Forestal Magazine (Costa Rica) 6 (16): 1-3.