Cassia fistula (Golden Shower Tree)

Native to western and southern India and Sri Lanka, this deciduous tree in the legume family grows about 30 to 40 feet tall. Its bright yellow flowers hang in long clusters. It is Thailand’s national tree, and its blossoms are the national flower. The compound leaves have paired oval leaflets. Cylindrical pods, about 1 to 2 feet long, darken as they mature and remain on the tree for months. The seeds are poisonous; the surrounding pulp has traditional use as a laxative. Widely cultivated in the tropics, it has escaped cultivation in Singapore. Photographed in Barranquilla, Colombia.