Rugtoora / Scarlet-Bell Tree
Spathodea campanulata
Also known as Fountain Tree, African Tulip Tree
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- July-March
How to identify Rugtoora
Identify Rugtoora by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Large ruffled bell-shaped flowers with water-filled buds.
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound.
- Confirm flower colour: Orange.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: July-March.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Bignoniaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Rugtoora.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Spathodea campanulata
- Genus
- Spathodea
- Family
- Bignoniaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Planted as an avenue tree, also as shade tree in coffee plantations
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Tropical Africa
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Puducherry, Daman & Diu, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-March
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compoundrecordedLeaflets are arranged in rows along a central stalk, like a feather.
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Rugtoora itself; the rest are typical of the Bignoniaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Orangerecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Rugtoora itself; the rest are typical of the Bignoniaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Rugtoora रगतूरा
- Bengali
- Rudrapalash, রুদ্রপলাশ
- Tamil
- Patadi
- Kannada
- ಸ್ಪಾಥೋಡಿಯ
- Malayalam
- സ്കൂട്ട്മരം, African Tulip Tree, Fountaintree
- Marathi
- आफ्रिकन ट्युलीप ट्री, पिचकारी
About Rugtoora
A member of the Bignoniaceae family, Scarlet-bell tree (Spathodea campanulata) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and 19 other states. It is planted as an avenue tree, also as shade tree in coffee plantations. Flowering and fruiting run from July to March.
Uses
Locally it is cut for timber and furniture and planted as an ornamental.
Bignoniaceae
Trumpet vine family
Rugtoora belongs to the Bignoniaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Bignoniaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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