Cassia fistula, known as the golden rain tree and other names,
is a flowering plant
in the family Fabaceae, native to southern Asia,
from southern
Pakistan east through India to Myanmar and south to Sri Lanka. It is associated
with the region
of Mullai Sangam landscape. And 'the national tree of Thailand, and its flower is the national flower
of Thailand.
It 'also state flower of Kerala in India and of immense importance amongst Malayali population.
It is a popular ornamental plant
and is an
herbal medicine.
Description
The golden rain
tree is a medium-sized tree
that grows
to 10-20
meters (33-66 feet) tall with fast growth.
The leaves
are deciduous,
15-60 cm (5.9 to 24 in)
long, pinnate,
with 3-8
pairs of leaflets,
each leaflet
7-21 cm (2.8 to 8.3 in) long and 4 -9 cm (1.6 to 3.5
in) wide. The flowers are produced in
pendulous racemes
20-40 cm (7.9 to 16 cm)
in length, each flower 4-7 centimeters (1.6
to 2.8 cm) in diameter,
with five
yellow petals
of equal size and
shape . The fruit is a
legume, 30-60 cm (12-24 inches) in length and 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters (0.59
to 0.98 in)
wide, with a pungent odor and
containing
several seeds.
The seeds are
poisonous.The
tree has a strong and
durable wood, and has been used to build "Ahala
Kanuwa", a place in Adams Peak, Sri Lanka, which is made of Cassia fistula
Cultivation
Cassia fistula is widely grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas. It blooms in late spring.
The flowering
is abundant
with trees
being covered with yellow flowers, many times with almost no
leaf being seen. Grow well in dry climates. The growth of this tree is best in full sun on well-drained soils,
but it is relatively
drought tolerant
and slightly
salt tolerant. They tolerate light
frosts, but can be damaged if frost persists. May be subject to
mold or leaf spot, especially during the second half
of the growing season. The tree will flourish best where there is no marked difference between summer and winter temperatures
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