Toxicity

Cautions and safety

Gulmohar is not known to be dangerous, but it is a large, shallow-rooted, brittle tree that is wrong for small spaces, and its safety if eaten is not well documented.

• Roots and space: ICRAF notes that the surface roots sometimes break pavements and walls and leave the ground under the crown bare. Plant it well away from buildings and services.
• Storms: ICRAF says the shallow roots and weak wood make it liable to be uprooted or broken in strong winds, so keep it away from where a falling branch could hit a house, a car or a power line.
• Litter: UF/IFAS describes the pods and leaves as a litter problem.
• Not native: Kew's checklist lists it as introduced in India, Flowers of India notes that it has become naturalised here, and UF/IFAS gives it a "caution" status for invasiveness in south Florida. Where you plant several trees, mix it with native ones such as amaltas or neem (practical guidance).
• Toxicity is not well documented: we found no reliable data on whether the seeds, pods, flowers or bark are poisonous to people or pets. ASPCA has no entry for this tree; its "poinciana" entry is a different plant, Caesalpinia gilliesii. Kew lists "a poison" among the recorded uses of the species without naming the part. Keep children and pets from chewing the seeds, pods or flowers, and if anyone swallows part of the plant and feels unwell, see a doctor or vet. In an emergency, call the National Poisons Information Centre, AIIMS New Delhi, toll-free 1800 116 117 (24 hours).