Common Name(s): Golden Shower Tree, Indian Laburnum, Lantern Tree

Synonym(s):

Family: Fabaceae

Native To: India

Native Habitat:

Growth Habit: Slender, single-stemmed tree up to 40 feet tall.

Flowering: Late May to early June

Distinguishing Characteristics: Leaves are pinnately-compound leaves and up to a foot in length with shiny leaflets 4 inches long. Flowers are bright yellow, up to 3 inches long, and form in hanging clusters 12 to 18 inches in length. Typically blooming occurs just after the leaves drop in May. The pods are dark brown, cylindrical and can be up to 2 feet long.

Natural History and Cultivation Notes: This striking tree is just one of dozens of trees introduced to the University of Arizona campus by Warren Jones. Warren remembers bringing seeds from central Mexico during the 1980's. Germination and culture occurred at the UA greenhouses at the Campbell Avenue Farm. Seeds are similar to those of many other hard-coated legumes; germination is enhanced if seed coats are softened or scarified.

Frost-tender and evergreen, it is adapted to USDA zones 9.5 and warmer. However, the tree on UA campus is thriving in a protected microclimate with a west-facing exposure. In Tucson (zone 9) the leaves renew each June after the spectacular bloom. As it matures, hardiness may increase. It is also adapted to most soils and appreciates the heat, but not the drying winds of the southwest. Moderate watering in the summer, along with a shady root zone, has allowed the UA Golden Shower Tree to prosper.

Ethnobotany: Known for years as "Purging Cassia", Cassia fistula is currently advertised/marketed as an effective astringent, purgative/laxative, and is used for colic and flatulence. The active part used in medicine is the fruit or pods, which are pounded to release the sweetish pulp. Researchers have evaluated Cassia fistula for anti-bacterial properties, as a cough suppressant, and for its potential to restrict or protect against nematodes.

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