Golden shower tree

Sun

Full sun; flowering is poorer in shade.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Established trees tolerate seasonal drought but need occasional deep watering during prolonged dry weather.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, loamy or gravelly soil; tolerates a range of soil pH but dislikes waterlogged ground.

Height

30-50 ft (9-15 m)

Spread

20-40 ft (6-12 m)

Flowers

Long, hanging clusters of golden-yellow flowers, usually in late spring and summer; timing varies with local dry and wet seasons.

Foliage

Large, pinnate leaves with paired oval leaflets. Often briefly deciduous in dry weather or around flowering.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm conditions.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   9 ft (2.6 m)

3. After 2 years

   11 ft (3.3 m)

4. After 3 years

   13 ft (3.9 m)

5. After 5 years

   17 ft (5.1 m)

About 16 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Invasive in

Australia

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant in a warm, sheltered position with room for the mature canopy, away from paths where fallen pods would be a nuisance.
• Water deeply during establishment, allowing the surface soil to dry between waterings.
• Spread mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Feed young trees lightly with a balanced fertiliser if growth is weak; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Stake only if needed for stability, and remove supports once the roots anchor the tree.

Pruning. Train young trees to a sound framework by removing competing leaders and poorly attached branches. Prune lightly after flowering to remove dead, damaged or crossing growth; avoid topping or severe canopy reduction.

Spring

Plant once the soil is warm and any risk of frost has passed.

Spring

Refresh mulch and check young trees for weak or competing leaders.

Summer

Water newly planted trees deeply during dry spells.

Late summer

After flowering, remove dead or damaged branches and make any necessary light shaping cuts.

Autumn

Collect fallen pods where children, pets or livestock could reach them.

Winter

Protect young trees from unexpected cold and reduce watering when growth slows.

• Use as a flowering specimen in a generous lawn or open tropical garden.
• Place beyond a terrace so the hanging flowers can be enjoyed without pods falling onto seating.
• Combine with palms and bold-leaved shrubs for contrasting canopy shapes.
• Plant against a dark evergreen background to make the yellow flowers stand out.

Garden styles it suits: Tropical, Modern tropical, Luxury resort, Caribbean, Florida subtropical and Balinese.

Plant it with: Frangipani, Hibiscus, Ixora, Bird of paradise and Lomandra.

Wildlife: Flowers attract bees, including large bees that collect pollen. The canopy provides shelter for birds.

• Cold injury: frost can damage foliage, branches or the whole tree; choose a frost-free site and protect young specimens during brief cold snaps.
• Poor flowering: provide full sun and avoid excessive nitrogen fertiliser; young trees may take several years to flower well.
• Root decline in wet soil: improve drainage before planting and avoid frequent watering of already moist ground.
• Scale insects and sooty mould: inspect stems and leaf undersides, control tending ants, and treat accessible infestations with a labelled horticultural oil.

Do not eat the pods, seeds or other parts. Pod pulp has a strong laxative action, and ingestion can cause abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhoea. Keep pods away from children, cats, dogs and horses; species-specific poisoning information for pets and horses is limited, so treat ingestion as potentially harmful and seek medical or veterinary advice.

Where it spreads. Can escape cultivation in tropical Queensland, Australia, where it is reported as an environmental weed. Check local weed guidance before planting and remove unwanted seedlings.

• Golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata)

  Has upright, branched flower clusters followed by papery, inflated capsules, rather than hanging flower chains and long cylindrical pods.

• Common laburnum (Laburnum anagyroides)

  A hardy temperate tree with three-part leaves and much shorter pods; golden shower tree has pinnate leaves with several pairs of leaflets.

• Rainbow shower tree (Cassia × nealiae)

  Usually bears flowers that mix yellow with pink, peach or cream, rather than the consistently golden-yellow flowers of Cassia fistula.

The Latin epithet fistula means a pipe or tube, referring to the long cylindrical pods, while golden shower describes the hanging yellow flowers.

Propagation. Usually grown from seed. Carefully nick the hard seed coat away from the embryo, soak overnight, then sow in a warm, freely draining propagation mix; seedlings vary and may take several years to flower.

Accepted botanical name

Cassia fistula

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.

Native range

India and Sri Lanka.

Measured

Average height 850 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.