MIA: Flame tree flowers

Unlike when they’re healthy and during their peak season, only a handful of flowers can be seen from this flame tree in San Antonio. It is one of the few flame trees along Beach Road that actually has flowers. (Frauleine Villanueva-Dizon)

April has begun and so has the annual Flame Tree Arts Festival but the famed flaming red blossoms of the flamboyant flame trees are still nowhere to be found on Saipan.

And so many have asked: Just where have the flame trees gone?

As Saipan residents would know, the flame trees are among the silent victims of Typhoon Soudelor, which toppled down a significant number of trees last August. Even before the strong one hit, the trees experienced blows from the unusual number of storms and typhoons the CNMI had last year.

However, one should not despair for there is still hope that we will see these flowers that make the island more vibrant soon.

This is because despite being in recovery, the trees will bloom, according to Department of Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Seman.

“Simply because of their seasonality, they will bloom,” Seman said, “In essence they are still in recovery since they are still alive.”

Flame trees peak in June

Although April is when we start to see them bloom, Seman also noted that the primary season for Flame Trees is around May with its peak happening around June.

The Flame Tree Arts Festival itself was held in June since it was started in 1980, according to Department of Community and Cultural Affairs acting secretary Robert Hunter.

Although it is disputed who named the festival after the flame trees, it was certainly inspired by their blooms.

Hunter said most of the artists who take part in the festival requested for it to be moved to April as June is generally a busy month aside from the weather being extremely hot and dry.

However, while flame trees do not fail to produce flowers every year—displaying their resiliency—they are not expected to be as ostentatious as they were the previous years.

“They will [bloom] but they will not be as huge as they used to because there are lesser branches now,” Seman said, “They always will but not as many.”

Despite being the “state tree” of the Commonwealth, flame trees are not endemic to the CNMI.
According to the Marianas Resource Conservation and Development Council, the first Flame Trees were brought to Saipan in the 1960s. About 800 to 900 flame trees were planted at that time.

Resilient and elegant

Because they are not from here, Seman said there is not much to do to help them recover but to just leave them alone.

The flame tree, a native to Madagascar but has since spread to other countries including nations in the Pacific and Asia, is resilient to heat as it craves for tropical climate and can survive salty conditions.

“If there’s anything that hurts them it’s the termites,” Seman said.

In addition to its elegance as well as its characteristic of providing wonderful shade, another great thing about Flame Trees is that they are easy to plant.

“They’re so easy to plant, they’re so easy to grow,” Seman said, “They grow so fast. If you plant them now, within four months they’re ready for transplant.”

Seeds used for planting flame trees come from the pods that fall after the blooming period of the trees. Because flame trees bloom every year, Seman said they don’t have a problem with finding seeds.

Within a year, Seman said the trees will be able to survive on their own.

“They will have enough height and enough width to withstand the wind,” Seman said.

Seman said the department’s Division of Forestry is always ready to plant new flame trees and replace those that were lost.

They can even accommodate additional projects or requests for flame trees.

“Whenever it’s needed, our Forestry Division has a nursery and they regularly plant flame trees,” Seman said.