Golden Shower Tree
Cassia fistula
The golden shower tree is a tropical flowering tree that drapes itself in long, hanging chains of brilliant golden-yellow blossoms in summer. It is the national tree and flower of Thailand and a beloved ornamental across the tropics.
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate; drought-tolerant once established
- Difficulty
- Easy
Got a plant like this?
Identify any plant from a photo, free.
Overview
Golden shower tree, Cassia fistula, is a medium-sized deciduous to semi-evergreen tree celebrated for its spectacular pendulous racemes of bright yellow flowers that cascade like golden rain.
After flowering it produces long, dark, cylindrical seed pods up to 2 ft long that rattle when dry. It is the national tree and flower of Thailand (where it is called "ratchaphruek") and the state flower of Kerala, India ("kanikkonna").
Fast-growing and heat-loving, it is one of the most widely planted ornamental flowering trees in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
How to identify it
- Flowers: drooping clusters (racemes) 12-24 in long of fragrant, bright golden-yellow five-petaled blooms in late spring and summer
- Pods: distinctive long (12-24 in), narrow, cylindrical dark-brown to black pods divided into segments
- Leaves: pinnately compound with 4-8 pairs of glossy oval leaflets
- Size: medium tree, typically 30-50 ft tall with a spreading crown
- Bark: smooth and grey when young, becoming rough and dark with age
Care & growing
Light: full sun is essential for abundant flowering.
Water: moderate water while establishing; mature trees are notably drought-tolerant and bloom best after a dry period.
Soil: well-drained soil of almost any type; tolerates poor and sandy ground.
Temperature: strictly tropical to subtropical (USDA zones 10-11); frost-sensitive when young.
Feeding: little needed; light feeding can help young trees.
Propagation: easily grown from scarified seed; young trees grow quickly.
Habitat & origin
Cassia fistula is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, growing in dry deciduous and monsoon forests.
It is now planted throughout the tropics and subtropics worldwide as a street and garden tree, and has naturalized in many regions. It thrives in seasonally dry, hot climates where it flowers most profusely.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called golden shower tree?
When in full bloom, the tree is covered in long hanging chains of bright yellow flowers that look like a cascading shower of gold.
Can it grow outside the tropics?
It needs a frost-free climate (roughly USDA zones 10-11). In cooler areas it can be grown in containers and protected over winter, but flowering may be reduced.
How long until it flowers from seed?
Seed-grown trees are fast and may begin flowering in roughly 4-7 years once well established in a warm climate.
Golden Shower Tree guides
In-depth guides for identifying, growing, and caring for Golden Shower Tree.
