# Amaltas (Cassia fistula)

> A medium-sized deciduous tree of about 10 m that drops its leaves in the hot season and then hangs itself with 30 to 60 cm chains of golden flowers, followed by long black pods. It is the state flower of Kerala and the national flower of Thailand and is a favourite street and garden tree across India and South-East Asia. The pulp is a traditional laxative and the seeds are emetic, so keep pods from children.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/cassia-fistula · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Indian laburnum, Golden shower tree, Golden rain tree, Kanikkonna, Ratchaphruek
- Family: Fabaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, loses its leaves in winter
- Mature height: 10 m; spread 8 m
- Growth: Medium growth; lives about 60 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 10 to 12
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Low water
- Soil: Any reasonably drained soil of pH 5.5-8.7; drought resistant once established
- Native range: Native to India and Sri Lanka (WCVP) and, per other sources, the wider subcontinent and South-East Asia; planted throughout the tropics.

**Benefits:** Flowers, Pollinators, Drought tolerant, Fits small spaces, Shade

**Good for:** Street tree, Small yard, parks, Yard shade

**Watch out for:** Toxic parts, Heavy litter, Messy fruit

## Care

Plant in full sun at the start of the rains; water the first dry season only. Tolerates moderate shade and drought but not frost. Prune after flowering to shape; it coppices and suckers freely. Scale insects and various fungi attack it. Pods and flower litter need sweeping on pavements.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** India (State flower of Kerala; planted in every state); Sri Lanka
- **Adapted:** Kenya (Introduced per WCVP); Myanmar (Burma) (Introduced per WCVP); Mexico (Introduced per WCVP); Thailand (National flower of Thailand; WCVP records it as introduced in Indochina); FL, United States (Introduced per WCVP; not on FISC list)

## Sources

- https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb2/speciesprofile.php?Spid=1780
- https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Cassia_fistula.PDF
- https://www.gbif.org/species/5357108
- https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=280435