The Golden Rain Tree

It isn't often that a Hollywood movie brings fame to a tree, but the 1957 Civil War romantic drama, Raintree County, inspired moviegoers to seek their rain tree, a symbol for meaning in one's life. The haunting musical score for the film was written by Johnny Green.

Paul Francis Webster wrote the lyrics sung by Nat King Cole. The words "They say in Raintree County there's a tree bright with blossoms of gold, but you will find the rain tree a state of mind or a dream to enfold" returned to memory upon seeing an arresting planting of golden rain trees glowing on Senate Street median adjacent to Trinity Cathedral. They are bedded with lilac flowering chaste trees.

The foot- long panicles of bright yellow flowers are followed by lantern- shaped papery pods as attractive as the blossoms. Lime green pods form in summer and mature to brown pods by fall. Generally, each pod contains three brown seeds. In fall the pinnately compound dark green foliage turns gold and bronze.

The small deciduous fast- growing ornamental tree, known botanically as Koelreuteria paniculata, has a dense rounded crown reaching a mature height and spread of 30 feet. It is used as a specimen tree, a shade tree, and as a park and street tree.

An arresting array of yellow panicles on the golden rain tree stops traffic on Senate Street. Its tolerance for heat, drought, and air pollution endears it to public streetscape projects. The tree is very low maintenance.

No serious pests or diseases afflict it. The red shouldered bug or golden rain tree bug, also found on rose of Sharon, chinaberry, and balloon vine plants, feeds on the leaves, stems, and seeds but doesn't affect the health of the tree. Control is not necessary.

The tree, a native of China and member of the soapberry family of plants, has wide climatic and cultural adaptability. It grows in USDA hardiness zones 5- 9. The tree thrives best in full sun and adapts to acid or alkaline soils and loamy, sandy, or clay soils. Welldrained earth is a must.

Thomas Jefferson intro- duced the golden rain tree to the United States in 1809 after receiving seeds from a friend in France. Seeds from the descendents of his trees are available at www.monticello. org.

Last year's golden rain tree pods with seeds . My golden raintree came from the Arbor Day Foundation.

Let the aura of the golden rain tree bring distinctive drama and unforgettable enjoyment to life in your yard.
Nursery Sources
www.naturehills.com
www.tytyga.com
www.historictrees.org
www.woodlanders.net

Bright yellow flowers flair from the tips of golden rain tree branches. Pinnately compound leaves of Golden rain tree. Golden rain tree and Chaste tree complement each other. Lime green seed pods are developing this spring.