Peltophorum dubium
Images by part: leaf (5) · flower (5) · fruit (3) · bark (5) · habit (5) · other (1)

Peltophorum dubium

Caña-Fístula · Ibirá-Pitá · Horsebush · Copperpod · Brazilian flame tree

Tier 2 Difficulty: easy Water: low Light: full_sun
Water every
7 days
Temperature
20–35 °C
Soil pH
6–8
Hardiness
Zone 9–9
Click count
181
Observations
167

Description

Source: leafsnap

Peltophorum dubium is a tree in the family Fabaceae and subfamily Caesalpinioideae. This species is known as the Ibirá-pitá in Argentina and Paraguay, árbol de Artigas in Uruguay, and Cambuí in Brazil. It is a large tree, growing around 20–25 meters, with a more or less straight trunk. Foliage: bright green, and deciduous Leaves: compound, bipinnate, large. Numerous leaves with a central nervous system. Flowers: from 2 cm in diameter, arranged in bundles that end in spikes. The bright visible flowers are in corollas. They flower in the summer and at the beginning of autumn. Fruits: indehiscent legume, flat, leathery, and brown. Seeds: cylindrical with hard nuts.

Care Guide

💧 Water Every 7 days
Suggested frequency: Every 7 days
☀️ Light Full sun

Copperpod comes from open habitats, such as sunny meadows and forest margins, which offer abundant light. It thrives in Full Sun but can also tolerate Partial Sun, adjusting well to a range of sunlight conditions.

Ideal: Full sun
🌡️ Temperature 20–35°C

Copperpod comes from tropical areas, where the weather is generally warm and humid. Consequently, it is well suited to high temperatures and moisture. It is sensitive to abrupt temperature changes and favors a steady thermal environment, so avoiding indoor temperature swings is important. It typically does not tolerate cold and requires warmer conditions to grow. If the surrounding temperature falls too low, the plant may stop growing or even perish.

Ideal temperature: 20–35°C
💨 Humidity
Humidity:
🪴 Soil 6-8
Soil pH: 6-8
🌱 Fertilizer

The best time to fertilize a Copperpod is in early spring as it breaks dormancy. Doing so stimulates overall growth and the development of flowers. Fertilization improves foliage, stems, and branches, and encourages large, colorful, long-lasting blooms. It also helps transport nutrients from the roots to the flowers and enhances the plant’s health and resistance to disease.

🪴 Pot & Repot
✂️ Pruning
🌿 Propagating
🐛 Diseases & pets
☠️ Toxicity

Characteristics

Plant Type
Tree
Life Cycle
Perennial
Genus
Peltophorum
Family
Fabaceae
Hardiness Zone
9
Mature Height
12.19 m
Mature Spread
10.06 m to 14.94 m
Leaf Color
Green
Leaf Type
Deciduous
Flower Color
Yellow
Flower Size
2.03 cm to 3.05 cm
Bloom Time
Summer
Planting Time
Spring, Summer, Autumn
Harvest Time
Late summer, Early fall, Mid fall
Native Area
Bahamas, Cuba, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil

Tags (5)

Common Names (5)

en Caña-Fístula
en Ibirá-Pitá
en Horsebush
en Copperpod
en Brazilian flame tree