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The Yellow Flame tree is one of the most planted trees in Singapore’s urban landscape. The tree (scientific name: Peltophorum Pterocarpum) gets its name from the vivid yellow flowers that cover its crown during flowering season.
When the Yellow Flame tree flowers, its fragrant, brilliant yellow blossoms cover the entire crown. These flowers are about 3 centimetres in size, and have wavy, crinkled petals that resemble tissue paper. Their cheery blooms, which are pollinated by insects, are fragrant especially at night.
After the flowering season, the flowers develop into woody, winged purple-brown fruit pods. These pods may contain up to four seeds, and remain in the crown of the tree for several months before dropping off.
The Yellow Flame tree can grow up to 20 metres tall with a thick trunk, and has a wide-spreading, umbrella-shaped crown that provides excellent shade, which is why they are often planted along roads. The tree has dark green leaves made up of many little leaflets, which are usually shed after dry weather.
It is also drought-tolerant and well adapted to Singapore’s weather. During the unprecedented dry spell in 2014, the Yellow Flame was one of the few drought-tolerant roadside trees that survived well despite the heat. The arboriculture of this tree species has contributed to water savings by reducing the amount of irrigation water used for roadside landscape locally.
Today, there are two specimens of this tree in Singapore listed as “Heritage Trees” by the National Parks Board (@nparksbuzz) – one along the banks of the Singapore River, opposite The Fullerton Hotel; and another one found in Jalan Tan Tock Seng, within Renci Hospital’s car park.
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