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In Bloom: Pink showers
Doug Caldwell/Special to the Daily News
Pink cassia tree.
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A sight to make Midwesterners homesick is the pink cassia (Cassia javanica) known as, fittingly, the apple blossom tree, pink shower tree or pink lady tree.
It blooms heavily in spring, with pink flowers on small stems along the branches that give it the look of flocking. This one, shot by Collier County University of Florida Commercial Horticulture Agent Doug Caldwell, caused an e-mail buzz among flowering tree lovers here.
The pink cassia tree isn’t seen nearly as often as its yellow-flowered cousins, even though it is a fast grower that will reach heights of 30 feet. That’s possibly because there are plenty of other pink- to purple-flowering trees, such as crape myrtle, Hong Kong orchid, frangipani and silk floss trees, and the yellow Cassia offers a contrast to those.
Stephen Brown, horticulture agent for Lee County, points out that it tops out with a wide, dappled-shade canopy and is a gorgeous yard tree. However, this tree develops narrow seed pods, so once again, over the driveway may not be the best location for its shade.
Pink shower is happy in Collier and Lee counties, where it has a climate from Zone 9 to 10A, and because it is moderately salt-tolerant.
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• Common name: Apple blossom tree, pink lady, pink showers
• Botanical name: Cassia javanica
• Origin: Indonesia
• Description: Has even-pinnate, alternate, up to 27 inches; pairs of opposite, glossy, elliptic leaves and blooms in pink, slightly fragrant flowers in late spring.
• Size: Up to 40 feet
• Zone: 9b-12b, 25 degrees F
• Size: 40 feet, with a span of possibly 60 feet
• Needs: Full sun, with deep, well-drained soil
• Problems: Brittle wood, messy leaf drop; it may lose all its leaves shortly before it begins flowering in the spring
• More information: lee.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/GardenPubsAZ/FactSheet/CassiaJavanica.pdf and
tfts.org
• Where to buy: Top Tropicals, Punta Gorda, offers 3-gallon-container-sized trees, or order through local nurseries
Is there a plant or tree you’ve seen that you want to learn more about? Have you grown a plant you want to show off? Send a photo and information about the plant’s location to: homes@naplesnews.com or by mail to At Home Editor, Naples Daily News, 1075 Central Ave., Naples, 34102
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