Cassia nodosa Seeds | Pink Shower Tree
LATIN NAME: Cassia nodosa
COMMON NAME: Pink Shower Tree
Plant Profile
Pink Shower Tree (Cassia nodosa) is a small to medium deciduous tree of the pea family (Fabaceae), native to Malaysia and mainland Southeast Asia. It reaches 8-15 m, with pinnate leaves and profuse clusters of rose-pink flowers borne along the branches in spring, sometimes called the pink-and-white shower. It is a popular avenue tree in the tropics for its reliable season of bloom.
Science & Biotechnology
Cassia nodosa sits in the Cassia group, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Its reliable flowering performance has also made it a subject of interest for urban tropical landscaping research examining consistent-performing flowering street trees. A long cultivation history means growers know what to expect from it.
Uses & Benefits
Pink Shower Tree works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Pink shower tree offers reliable, consistently pink flowering for tropical parks and avenues, providing an alternative within wider pink-flowering Cassia group for gardeners and landscapers seeking a somewhat more uniform colour display than the variable Java cassia. It shares the same general ease of cultivation and substantial mature size as its close relatives. Routine care after establishment is refreshingly light.
Sennas and cassias are the source of sennosides, the world’s most widely used herbal laxatives, standardized in products everywhere. Use them short-term only, as tradition and modern guidance both advise.
Growing from Seed
Pink Shower Tree is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Nick or lightly sand hard seed coat and soak it in warm water overnight before sowing into a loose, free-draining tropical mix. Bright light suits young tree well, and it typically establishes readily under warm, tropical growing conditions similar to its close Cassia relatives. Level a tray of loose seed compost, sow evenly, cover to about the seed’s own depth, and keep it moist in full light. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
Pink Shower Tree earns its space through character rather than fuss. Its wants are few — a sunny spot, soil that drains, and time to settle in.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as Pink Shower Tree: