Flowers on a Golden Shower Tree


Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula)
Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

I was outdoors trying to photograph some birds.  They were not cooperating.  They kept hiding in the trees!  Not to be defeated, I decided to take some pictures of the flowering trees instead.  Here is one of those shots.

These are the flowers on a Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula).  The blossoms grow in pendulous clusters called a 'racemes' -- sort of like an upside-down bouquet.  When fully in bloom, the tree looks like a golden cloud from a distance.  Later, long bean-shaped seed pods will replace the flowers.

Shower trees are native to south Asia, but are very popular here in Hawaii where they are seen along streets, and in parks, as well as in people's gardens.  They come in several color varieties.

3 comments:

Becky said...

How bright and beautiful this flower is, and especially against that blue sky.
B.

kml said...

Such bright colors and they are lovely the way they hang down.

BNS said...

Hi Becky and Kathy,

Bright they are! The other shower tree color variants (pinks and ivories) bear blossoms in much softer shades. The yellow ones nearly hurt your eyes!

Bobbie