Ask the Angry Gardener

Anonymous asks,

I have been attempting to restructure a tropical tree so it will tolerate colder weather. I've used colchicine to produce a diploid, root grafted it to an similar tree (mimosa) that tolerates zone 8 easily and is almost a weed. Tried different rooting hormones as well as some advanced chemical treatments. While I have had some success over these last four years, they will go through a winter that gets down to 12 degrees, loose all their leaves and small branches, but return in the spring, is there a short answer as how a DELONIX regia "Royal Poinciana", "Flamboyant" or fire tree can be made to tolerate zone eight a and winters whit days of 10 degrees F ? I lived for years in La Paz Mexico, on the southern tip of Baja and grew to love these trees. Now I am in East Texas and I want to fill my yard with them. I gave several hundred preserved seeds and can start them with near 100% success. John M. Cook, Ph.D. Behavioral scientist cojon at suddenlink-dot-net

Dear Dr. Cook,

How the hell should I know?  I am a gardener, not a freakin' horticulturalist.  Awesome question, whatever it means, and best wishes in all of your science-y endeavors. 

Sincerely,

The Angry Gardener

PS:  Perhaps this would help.