The Golden Shower Tree
by Anne Baxter

The golden shower tree bursts forth in long sprays of bright, yellow flowers in June in the Florida Keys, delighting both visitors and natives alike. Since the flowers are so profuse, few leaves are visible during the blooming, except on close inspection

The falling petals produce a bright yellow mat around the base of the tree. The golden shower tree, known as Casia fistula, is planted as a shade and ornamental tree in many areas of the Florida Keys. It has a straight trunk with an open crown of leaves. Its leaves are compound, giving it a fern-like appearance. Each leaflet is oval in shape about eight inches long and medium green in color.

This tree originated in India where the pulp of its two-foot long, one-inch diameter seed pod is added to tobacco. The seed pod appears in September, is brown on the outside and contains about 100 yellow-brown seeds embedded in a dark, sticky, sweet pulp. The tree propagates through the seeds. Its pests are caterpillars who feed on the leaves.