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Divi divi - Caesalpinia coriaria
General information: This is the national tree of Curacao. In sheltered
locations, the tree is symmetrical with a spreading mounded top
as shown in the illustration. Exposed to the prevailing winds,
however, it leans away from the wind, and its top, growing mostly
to the lee side, appears to be blown out horizontally in the
wind. In this characteristic it can be confused with Crescentia
cujete (calabash tree) which may do the same. The pods are a
rich source of tannin. As a tree it grows to approximately 30
feet tall.
Leaves alternate, 2x even-pinnate; leaflets
numerous, regularly nearly touching to overlapping; each less
than 1/2" long. The leaf is as fine as the Sweet acacia.
Flowers are small, in terminal clusters, white or yellow, pea-like,
inconspicuous, very fragrant and attractive to bees. Fruit are
small curved, dished, or twisted flat pod with rounded ends,
about 1 in. wide; often little longer than wide. The trunk and
branches are gnarled, with gray bark.
Family:
Leguminosai, Caesalpinioideae.
Lighting: Full
sun.
Temperature: Warm,
do not like temperatures below 40 degrees F and will drop most
leaves easily if too cold, but the new growth comes back nice
and colorful.
Carolyn Carver's personal experience with
Divi-divi. They are leggy, and twiggy and extremely slow to trunk
up. The new growth is exceptionally beautiful, a copper, pink
color. I have been working a large, 13 year old one, it's about
24" tall, 1 1/2" caliper and wired in a weeping style.
The branches are very thin and brittle and I always end up cracking
them but they recover and leaf out. The creamy bloom is very
sweet and pretty, but it's the bright colored new growth that
attracts attention. They are beautifully delicate.
Divi divi bonsai |
Divi divi growing in wild |
Bibliography:
200 Tropical Plants of the Caribbean. Illustrated with Photographs
Reproduced in Full Color by John M. Kingsbury. Bullbrier Press,
Ten Snyder Heights, Ithaca, NY 14850, 1988.
Email from Carolyn Carver, Jupiter Bonsai, Jupiter, FL
Compiled by: Carolyn Carver, Jupiter Bonsai,
Jupiter FL.
Edited by: Thomas L. Zane
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