The Goldenrain tree or "Pride of India" (tree species: Koelreuteria paniculata) is an ornamental tree species from Asia that has been widely planted in Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona or Málaga. The name "Goldenrain" refers to this tree species bright yellow flowers that cover the tree with a golden colour in late spring.
The flowers occur in flowers in large terminal panicles that are as large as 30cm. The image at the top of this post will give you a pretty good idea of wha the flowers look like up close.
The leaves of the Goldenrain tree are pinnate with individual leaflets that are quite serrated and irregular.
One of the most distinctive features of this tree species is its seed pods that are bladder like with paper thin skin than conceal several small ball like black seeds in a completely hollow interior. These pods start out with a green or orangy-tan color. They then turn a sort of reddish colour before they mature into a grey-tan colour.
The seedpods have three sides and the seeds themselves are about 4-5 cm in diameter.
The Goldenrain tree or "Pride of India" (tree species: Koelreuteria paniculata) is an ornamental tree species from Asia that has been widely planted in Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona or Málaga. The name "Goldenrain" refers to this tree species bright yellow flowers that cover the tree with a golden colour in late spring.
The flowers occur in flowers in large terminal panicles that are as large as 30cm. The image at the top of this post will give you a pretty good idea of wha the flowers look like up close.
The leaves of the Goldenrain tree are pinnate with individual leaflets that are quite serrated and irregular.
One of the most distinctive features of this tree species is its seed pods that are bladder like with paper thin skin than conceal several small ball like black seeds in a completely hollow interior. These pods start out with a green or orangy-tan color. They then turn a sort of reddish colour before they mature into a grey-tan colour.
The seedpods have three sides and the seeds themselves are about 4-5 cm in diameter.
interesting. the queen's crepe myrtle (lagerstroemia speciosa) is also called the Pride of India
ReplyDeleteFound one growing in the neighbors back yard. We did not know what it was. The seed pods are a definite match.
ReplyDeleteGreat images and information! I swiped a little cluster of seed pods from somebody's tree and have been looking for info to identify it. Nice blog; I'm going to bookmark it. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat Post. I just visited a friend here in Macon, Georgia and was impressed with the Autumn Beauty of this great tree.
ReplyDeleteI have conducted some research and also ascertained that in Central Florida, U. S. A. there are some who consider this as an invasive plant/tree.
I have one of these in my front yard. It is a great shade tree, but OMG these little flowers are everywhere. This bad boy blooms twice a year and these things are in my car in my house and there are thousands of bees. Took me a while to find the species name. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI have a huge Goldenrain tree in my front yard. It has been beautiful in the fall until the last 2 seasons. By researching I discovered it became infested with red sholdered beetles and I've been loping away limbs. It is about 40 years old and I agree with Alan's post about it being an invasive tree. I constantly have to remove seedlings in the front and back of my house. I live in Richmond, VA
ReplyDeleteWhere were were you last year?! OMG, last year I spotted this tree covered in the rose bladders ( I had no idea they were seed-pods, i thought they were flowers) and i was googling like mad to identify it. I came across golden rain tree, but i didnt pay it any attention, cos i was looking for pink-flowered tree. It took me a whole year to get that the flowers were yellow, not pink or rose. I was really frantic then, and now you tell me and show me all theses wonderful pictures!
ReplyDeleteI have one in my yard that it 8 years old now. The last two years it has developed "sores" that bleed sap profusely when still dormant in the spring. Once the tree leafs out it almost stops but not quite. However the stains remain all year long. I am concerned that this may be the sign of a disease. Has anyone seen this?
ReplyDeleteI too have a Golden Rain Tree in my garden -lagerstroemia speciosa in my opinion (and also in Google) is quite different and I believe is a member of the crepe mytrle family with pink flowers.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the helpful post - just what I was googling for - I am delighted to become your 100th follower!
ReplyDeleteThanks to this page I can now identify an example of this wonderful tree (around 12 meters high) I have seen for a few years towering above and spreading beyond an old garden wall here in central France. During all four seasons - against our normally deep blue skies - it looks quite different from other trees, especially throughout May with the canopy of intense yellow flowers, and during the winter when the fragile lanterns cling to the fine branches.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbor has a huge tree in her yard that looks just like this. Several years ago she had a flower pot underneath the tree with what looked like the tree growing. I planted it 4 or 5 years ago in my yard and it looks like this as well. She is having a problem with bugs all over it and wants to control the bugs. The little bugs have a red body with a black head and the adults have a blackish gray body with a little bit of red on their head and reddish eyes. They are coming into the house every time the door opens. Do you know how to get rid of them or control them?
ReplyDeleteI too have a young goldenrain tree which I received from the Arbor Day Foundation. It is doing great!
ReplyDeletewe have a golden rain in our back yard 35 years old it has reached its full width and hight of approx 12 mtr it gives us almost full shade greating atleast 10 degrees cooler durying our hot dry summers the variety of birds we get seeking shade is a plus the only downer for us is the cleanup durying autumn and the germination of thousands of seeds all over the garden in spring We live in Salisbury Sth Australia
ReplyDeleteWe have this tree in our backyard it is beautiful. The little black and red bugs are harmless,(they don't bite or sting)our kids called them tickle bugs when they were little. they are attracted to the trees to help it bloom.
ReplyDeleteI have collected some seedling to plant along my back fence to block out my view of my neighbors Pool enclosure. Soon I will be looking at something much more beautiful. Wish me luck.
Kristen, Apopka, Florida
www.SunnySideUpCoops.com
The Golden Rain tree is an invasive species. Google it and read up on it before planting this. There are many other more deserving trees that are not harmful to the environment that should be considered.
ReplyDeleteTex
Waller Texas
We have these trees that we successfully transplanted from my husband's parent's home. We have 3 fully established and are about 5 years old. They are beautiful this year and the blooms are about 12 inches across. This is the second time they have bloomed and are so enormous! They pop up all over the place and are so easy to transplant. Boy do they take off! The honey bees love them. We live in Eastern Oregon.
ReplyDeletegreat post .we have only few in Delhi.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.delhitrees.com/
What do I do if my rain tree does not bloom?
ReplyDeleteCount yourself lucky. I trim off the flowers to avoid the seed pods that would otherwise result in dozens, if not hundreds, of seedlings growing all over my property.
DeleteI got a seedling from the Arbor Day group, probably 15 yrs ago. We collect some of the volunteer seedlings from the 20' original, pot them up, grow them on for a few years, and pass them along to friends. It does self-seed readily, and diligence is required to keep them controlled. It is a beautiful tree for 3 seasons on Cape Cod.
ReplyDeleteAnyone want some. Got dozens growing in my hedges!! Fixing to cut down two adults. They are very pretty, evergreen in Central Florida, but a real pain!! The volunteers root quickly, in the most imposible places, and send down a long tap root. Two year old seedlings are impossible to pull out by hand. Cut them off and they will come right back up again. Terrible!! A word to the wise. Skip this tree. Not worth the trouble!
ReplyDeletehttp://osceola.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/Natural%20Resources/PLC_GoldenRainTreeBugs.pdf
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this is the "red shouldered bug" Anonymous talked about in Oct., 2009. This is a very interesting article about insects that may or may not be a problem for a tree they are on.