Mayodendron igneum Seeds | Mayodendron

Mayodendron with clusters of orange-red tubular flowers sprouting directly from the trunk — Mayodendron (*Mayodendron igneum*): Bignoniaceae, the cauliflorous flame-flowered tree of Yunnan and mainland Southeast Asia.

LATIN NAME: Mayodendron igneum

COMMON NAME: Mayodendron

Plant Profile

Mayodendron is a genus of one species, and the tree is as singular as that suggests. It is a small to medium deciduous tree, ten to fifteen metres, with a straight trunk, a rounded crown and large, twice-divided leaves that give it a ferny, almost jacaranda-like look in growth.

The flowers are extraordinary. In late winter and spring, before or just as the new leaves appear, clusters of tubular, five-lobed blooms in bright orange-red push out directly from the trunk and the old branches, in bunches of a dozen or more. Each flower is five to seven centimetres long, and the effect on a bare trunk is of something burning through the bark. The fruit is a long, slender capsule that splits to release papery, winged seeds.

Science & Biotechnology

The species is the only member of its genus, which sits in the trumpet-creeper family alongside jacaranda, tabebuia and the catalpas. Its flowers are adapted to bird pollination: the tube is long and narrow, the colour is saturated red-orange, and there is no landing platform, so a sunbird or a flowerpecker must hover or cling to reach the nectar, picking up pollen on the forehead. Bees also work the flowers, but they are secondary.

Cauliflory, the bearing of flowers on the trunk, is uncommon in temperate trees and appears in tropical lineages where pollinators move along the stem rather than through the canopy. The seed is light and winged and is dispersed by wind, and it loses viability quickly, so it must be sown fresh. The wood is pale, soft and of little use except for fuel.

Uses & Benefits

In its native range the flowers are eaten. In southern Yunnan the buds and open blooms are collected in spring, blanched and stir-fried or used in soups, and they have a mild, slightly sweet flavour; this is a seasonal vegetable rather than a staple, and it is one of the few cases where a tree grown for ornament is also harvested from the kitchen.

As a garden tree it is planted for the flowering, which is spectacular for three or four weeks and then over. It needs a warm climate and space to show the trunk, since the whole point is the cauliflorous display, and a tree crowded by shrubs loses its effect. It is grown in tropical and subtropical collections and in the milder parts of the subtropics, where it can be seen in botanic gardens but is still uncommon in private gardens.

Growing from Seed

Sow the seed as soon as it is ripe, because it is short-lived. Use a light, free-draining mix, sow on the surface and cover very lightly, and keep at twenty-five to thirty degrees with high humidity and bright, filtered light. Germination is usually quick, within two to four weeks.

Prick the seedlings out as soon as the first true leaves appear, since they grow fast and resent root disturbance later. Grow them on in deep pots in a warm glasshouse or shade house for the first two years, then plant out into deep, fertile, well-drained soil in full sun, with shelter from cold wind. Protect from frost for the first three winters, and do not prune the trunk, since the flowers come from old wood.

Our Take

A one-species genus with flowers that appear to burn through the bark; warm climates only, and worth the space. Give it warmth, sun on the trunk and room to show the display.

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