Golden Raintree (Koelreuteria paniculata)

Add some shade and showers of gold to your summer landscape.

The Golden Raintree (Koelreuteria paniculata) steals the show in mid- summer with its 12 to 15 inch clusters of bright yellow flowers. As the flowers fade the small individual flowers often drop from the tree like a golden shower. They create a carpet of gold beneath the tree until they eventually decompose into the mulch or lawn.

Then watch for the attractive fruit that follow. The brown papery seedpods resemble Chinese lanterns.

You’ll enjoy this 30 to 40 feet tall and wide shade tree even when it is not in bloom. The feathery foliage adds nice texture to the landscape. The leaves emerge pinkish-bronze to purple in spring, turn bright green in summer and yellow in fall.

Grow Golden Raintrees in full sun and well-drained soil. It’s adaptable, tolerating clay and alkaline soils, heat, drought and wind.

A bit more information: The first part (genus) of the botanical name Koelreuteria was given to honor Joseph Koelreuter a pioneer in plant hybridization during the 1700’s. The second part of the name (specific epithet) describes the flower – a panicle shaped cluster of flowers.