John&Jacq~s Garden

Cassia fistula with golden showers of brilliant pendulous flowers

Cassia fistula (Golden Shower Tree/Cassia, Purging Cassia)

These ever-flowering large trees are popularly grown along the median strip of highways and roads or by the roadsides, countrysides and even at public parks.

A stunning landscape plant when the Golden Shower Tree is in full bloom.

It is an extremely glorious and magnificent tree, to say the least.

Too bad we can’t accommodate this beauty in our small front yard.

Fortunately, these splendid trees are planted aplenty in Malaysia, our beloved tropical country.

Unless your residence has a very large yard, you just have to be contented admiring them from afar. That’s what we do whenever we travel around.

Not surprising that Cassia fistula is Thailand’s national tree and flower, as well as Kerala’s state flower in India.

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Cassia fistula L. (syn.: Cassia fistulosa L. ex R.W. Long & Lakela)
• Common Name: Golden Shower Tree/Cassia, Purging Cassia/Fistula, Indian Laburnum, Monkey-pod Tree.
• Family name: Fabaceae.
• Etymology: The genus Cassia comes from Latin/Greek, cassia/kasia, meaning to cut off or strip off bark. The species epitaph fistula is in Latin, meaning like a pipe, tubular or full of holes.
• Origin: Native to the Indian subcontinent and adjacent regions of Southeast Asia.
• Plant type: Tropical perennial and ornamental tree.
• Features: Cassia fistula is a popular species of the genus, Cassia that comprises hundreds (though unclear just how many) of species of trees, shrubs and herbs from tropical to subtropical regions.
  It’s a fast-growing and medium-sized tree in an upright form with irregular or open crown, reaching between 10-20 m in height and probably spread to less than 6 m wide.
  The bright green leaves are can be evergreen or deciduous, shedding leaves every 8-10 months. They are 15-60 cm long, and pinnate with three to eight pairs of ovate-lanceolate opposite leaflets, each leaflet 7-21 cm long and 4-9 cm broad.
  The Golden Shower Cassia produces fragrant flowers profusely in pendulous racemes, measuring 20-40 cm long. Each flower is 4–7 cm in diameter with five yellow petals of equal size and shape.
  The flowers are pollinated by bees and butterflies.
  They’ll be followed by leguminous seedpods that starts off green in colour and gradually turn to blackish brown.
  Each seedpod or fruit is 30–60 cm long and 1.5–2.5 wide, with a pungent odor and containing several seeds. Golden jackals are  known to feed on the fruits and help in seed dispersal.
  The tree has strong and very durable wood that can be used as firewood, and the tree trunk has been used as heartwood for construction of cabinets and other wooden products.

• Culture (Care): Cassia fistula is easy-growing with least maintenance.
  Light: Prefers full sun, but can tolerate light shade.
  Moisture: Moderate water requirement. It is drought tolerant when well established. Long periods of drought will encourage flowering.
  Soil: Not choosy but grows best in well-drained loamy soils.
  Others: Besides the above, there’s nothing much to advise as the tree will be too high to manage, we think.
  No known serious insect or disease problems though prone to mildew or leaf spot. Regardless, nothing to worry about because we’ve seen these trees left unattended in our country.
  For subtropical and temperate regions: Hardiness: USDA Zone 10-11. It is suitable to be planted in tropical and subtropical regions, growing well in dry climes. It will tolerate light brief frost, but can get damaged if the cold persists. It blooms in late spring.

• Propagation: From seeds or marcotting of large branches.

• Usage: Cassia fistula or Golden Shower Tree as commonly known can be grown as an ornamental tree in parks and public gardens or along roadsides, byways and highways. Used in landscaping, this plant serves well as a decorative specimen. Attractive to birds, butterflies, bees and other insects.
  It is also used in folklore and herbal medicine to treat illnesses. The flesh of the fruit is used as a laxative, while the bark can be used to treat skin infections. In India the strongly scented pulp is sometimes added to tobacco and smoked.

Other external links:

• Wikipedia
• National Tropical Botanical Garden
• Missouri Botanical Garden
• Singapore National Parks, Flora & Fauna Web

Last edit: June 16, 2016

Tags: flowering plants, green, medicinal, outdoor plants, perennials, trees, tropical plants, yelllow