Grow Golden Shower: handsome ornamental tree

28 June, 2012

Golden Shower is a popular handsome flowering tree of tropical and subtropical regions. Its beautiful and attractive flowering is always liked by one and all. Planting Golden Shower in places like avenues, farm boundaries, lawns etc. gives a wonderful look when the tree is in full bloom.

GOLDEN SHOWER (Cassia fistula L.) is the national flower of Thailand and state flower of Kerala, India. It belongs to the family Caesalpiniaceae. The tree is medium-sized deciduous reaching to a height of 8 to 10 m.

Its leaves are compound, paripinnate, scaly with 4 to 8 pairs of opposite leaflets. The flowers are golden yellow in colour which hang in clusters. Flowering takes place during spring. Most of the flowers bloom at nearly the same time giving the whole tree a golden yellow handsome appearance from which the tree has attained its common name 'Golden Shower Tree'. It is also known as Indian Laburnum, Amaltas, Pudding Pipe Tree etc.

Matured fruits are dark brown to black in colour pods of 20 to 50 cm long and contain seeds. Seeds remain embedded in gummy or sticky pulp. The tree is well known for its landscaping attributes. Planting Golden Shower in avenues, farm boundaries, back yards of kitchen gardens or lawns, entrance of houses or flats gives a wonderful look when the tree is in full bloom with few or no leaf on the trees. The branches and twigs are used as firewood and timber. Bark contains 10 to 12% of tannin.

Different parts of the tree are known to have astringent, carminative, laxative etc. medicinal properties. Grows well in tropical and sub tropical climate on well drained sandy loam to sandy clay loam soils. It requires less maintenance and therefore can be grown easily. Plant is generally propagated by seeds. As the seedlings reach 6 to 8 leaf stage they are ready for transplanting in the main field preferably during rainy season.

Golden Shower is an obvious choice for a garden because it has overwhelming performance as a perennial handsome golden yellow flowering plant in landscaping, avenue plantation, home gardens etc.