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Markhamia lutea (Nile Tulip Tree) - A medium sized upright evergreen tree to 30 feet by 10 to 20 feet wide with light gray bark that ages darker with fine fissures that flake off to reveal younger brown bark beneath. It has foot long pinnately compound leaves with shiny dark green 3 to 7 inches long by 1 1/2 to 3 inches wide oppositely arranged obovate leaflets. In mid to late summer (July to September) at branch tips appear the panicles of showy bright yellow 3-inch-long flowers fussed at their base into a funnel shape that is topped by ruffled petals with maroon stripes going down the throat. After flowering appear the foot long flattened beanlike light brown fruits that open to release many papery membranous winged seeds with the decorative split open pods long remaining.
Plant in full to part sun. It can be relatively fast growing if well irrigated but also tolerates drier conditions and then growing more slowly. Tolerates light to medium frost and is noted to survive temperatures down to 25° F without damage. It is not predated upon by dear and tolerant of near seashore plantings. Seed grown plants flower when only 4 to 5 years old but its growth habit in youth can be somewhat irregular so begin pruning early for crown development. It is an attractive tree that is spectacular in flower and attracts and is pollinated primarily by bees and butterflies that enjoy its nectar.
Markhamia lutea tree is native to equatorial east Africa where it is found growing in seasonally dry savannas and on dry rocky ridges and hillsides. The genus name honors Sir Clements Robert Markham (1830-1916), a British geographer, explorer, and secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. The specific epithet, lutea, comes from the Latin word, 'luteus', meaning "yellow" in reference to the bright yellow flowers. This tree has long been listed as Markhamia hildebrandtii and we first listed this plant under this name in our catalog in 1986. This name, published in 1905, was to honor the German explorer, collector, and scientist Johann Maria Hildebrandt who collected plants in East Africa, but current treatment has made this name synonymous with Markhamia lutea as described ten years prior in 1895.
Markhamia lutea was first introduced into California by the famous Evans and Reeves Nursery in Brentwood, California and was by the late 1940s was planted in Santa Barbara in test street plantings, as noted in Maunsell Van Rensselaer's 1948 edition of Trees of Santa Barbara. There are a few nice specimens around Santa Barbara, including a large specimen in De La Guerra Square and another, where we collect our seed in Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens. Arborist Dave Gress wrote about this in his September 2021 Tree of the Month article.
This information about Markhamia lutea displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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