Cassia fistula grow and care – tree of the genus Cassia also known as Golden shower tree, Cassia fistula perennial evergreen or deciduous plant, grown for the edible fruits but mostly used as ornamental plant for the flowers, can be grown as bonsai and sometime use for the edible fruits that grow in the pods, can grow in mediterranean, subtropical, tropic climate and growing in hardiness zone 10b+ and in the right care in hardiness zone 10a.
How to care: Add mulch especially in the summer, put fertilizer and prune once a year
What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seed (Sowing explanation bellow) / Vegetative Reproduction care propagation cutting better to start in the early spring or with temperature of ~26C (79F), requirements: moist soil, high humidity, peat soil, hormone for root growth, highly recommend to use green house (or small plastic box with holes).
Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction? No, it’s not hard to start by seeds and it’s harder to start by cutting
Difficulties or problems when growing: ?
Planting season: Spring to summer in hardiness zone 10a, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 10b-11, all year hardiness zone 12+.
How to plant: Dig a hole as deep as the current root ball plus extra 50-100%, put in the hole organic matter, humus and dried leaves and mix it with some soil, put the tree and loos little bit the root ball above the hole, plant the tree and after this put mulch and dead leaves on the soil to keep moist on soil, put water every day for the next two weeks (better in the morning).
Pests and diseases: Aphids
Pruning season: Possible after the bloom or after the fruits (pods)
How to prune:
Open the growth of the branches, need that all the branches in the tree will get sun in order to get full bloom
Size of the plant? 6-12m, 20-40 feet, can grow smaller in as dwarf 2-3m (6-9 feet)
Growth speed in optimal condition: Medium growing and can grow fast with enough fertilizer
Water requirement: Small amount of water / Average amount of water, although it’s drought tolerant plant prefer more water
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing: Full Sun, possible less than full sun but will bloom less
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant? No
Growing is also possible in a planter, flowerpot or containers: Yes, in containers need to keep the plants small as dwarf or to grow as bonsai, start with pot that will be 50-100% more than the root ball, every time that the tree arrive to full capacity need to switch to bigger until arrives to desirable size minimum size for the tree it’s 30L (7 gallons) better 100L (20 gallons), better to use this method because the soil lose the viability over time and it’s efficient of care for the tree, when the plant big need to switch part of the soil, cut the tree and the roots, switch in the dormant season, when grow in container need to put more fertilizer and add organic matter, soil to use peat soil with perlite or potting mix and maybe some lava grit in the bottom or something like that to make drainage, put a bottom for the container and when water the plant let it fill the bottom and better dry in the same day.
Blooming information
Bloom season: Spring / Summer
General information about the flower Yellow flowers that grow in
Pollination is done by: Bees and more
Edible Fruits
Fruit harvest season: Summer / Autumn
Fruits pests or diseases: Aphids
What can be done with big quantities of Cassia fistula fruits? Beverage
Work requirements on the fruit: Pick up from the tree and break the pods and collect the fruit the connected to the pod
How long does it take to bear fruit? 2-4 years
How to grow cassia fistula from seed
Sowing requirement: Moist soil, better when the temperature 26-30C (79-86F)
Saving seeds and care until sowing: Dry and dark location
Sowing season: Spring / Summer
Planting spacing: Better in different pots, direct in the place 3*3m (10*10 feet)
Depth of Sowing: 2-4cm (1-1.8 inches)
Conditions for seeds germinate: Moist soil, high humidity in sunny location
Watering requires for Seeds: Average amount of water
Germination time: 3-7 weeks
Condition of seedling: Full sun with regular watering
Scientific name:
Cassia fistula
Alternative names: Golden shower tree, Purging cassia, Indian laburnum, Pudding-pipe tree
