Golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata ‘September’)

Features and Characteristics

Koelreuteria paniculata, commonly called golden raintree, is a small, open-branching, irregularly-shaped, deciduous tree with a rounded crown which typically grows 30-40′ tall and as wide. Features pinnate or bipinnate, feathery, compound leaves (to 18″ long), each leaf having 7-17 irregularly lobed leaflets. Leaves emerge pinkish bronze to purplish in spring, mature to a bright green in summer and turn yellow (quality variable) in fall. Bright yellow flowers (1/2″ wide) appear in early summer in long, terminal, panicles (12-15″). Falling blossoms may or may not resemble “golden rain”, but the fallen blossoms often form an attractive golden carpet under the tree. Flowers give way to interesting, brown, papery seed capsules which somewhat resemble Chinese lanterns.

Genus name honors Joseph Gottlieb Koelreuter (1733-180- , professor of natural history at Karlsruhe, a pioneer experimental investigator of plant hybridization.

Specific epithet means in a panicle in reference to the floral inflorescence.

‘September’ flowers in August to September, species flowers in early summer.