Coral shower, Horse Cassia
Cassia grandis
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A spectacular flowering tree that displays masses of salmon pink flowers in clusters that open from pinkish mauve buds in spring. It is one of ther first cassia to bloom in the spring. Flowers short lived.
Cassia grandis is a deciduous Tree growing to 25 m (82ft) by 25 m (82ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 25
Where it is found
Open, brushy or forested hillsides or on thinly forested plains, often about dwellings or along roadsides and in pastures, at elevations below 900 metres.
S. America - Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, north to the Caribbean and through Central America to Mexico.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
Antilles, Australia, Belize, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Marquesas, Mexico, Myanmar, Nauru, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South America, Suriname, Thailand, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
The pulp surrounding the seeds in the pods is edible. Sugary, but malodorous and has purgative properties if eaten in quantity.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The bitter fruit pulp is used as a laxative and purgative similar to C. fistula and reported to be more powerful. Drunk with milk, it is said to fight anaemia and add iron to the blood. The ripe pods and seeds are also used as a laxative. A decoction of the leaves is used as a laxative and in the treatment of lumbago. The fresh juice of the leaves is used externally in the treatment of ringworm. An ointment made from lard and the crushed leaves is employed commonly in treating cutaneous diseases, especially mange and other skin affections in dogs.
Other
Rating: 3
Agroforestry Uses: A fast-growing tree it can be used as a pioneer species when re-establishing woodland. Other Uses: The seeds are a potential commercial source of gums. Seed gum can be used as a binder for the pharmaceutical industry. The ashes of the wood are employed in soap-making. The wood is brownish yellow, rather hard and heavy, coarse-textured and not durable. A strong, multipurpose wood, it is used for building construction - mainly for internal finish, agricultural implements etc. It is also used for fence posts. The wood is used for fuel. An important bee plant.
Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.
Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.
Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
Fodder: Pod: Fodder plants with pods.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
Staple Crop: Sugar: Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.
Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.
Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
Fodder: Pod: Fodder plants with pods.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
Staple Crop: Sugar: Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
How it is grown
A plant of the lowland moist tropics, found at elevations below 900 metres. It is found in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 1,000 - 2,800 mm, and the mean annual temperature is 21 - 26c with a mean maximum of 24 - 30c and a mean minimum of 17 - 25c. Prefers a sunny position. Succeeds in a wide range of soils. The plant is common as an ornamental and garden escape in Malaysia, Java and New Guinea. A fast-growing plant. The fruit takes 10 - 12 months to mature from flowering.
Propagating it: Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Sow the seed in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate in excess of 60% can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 8 - 12 days. When the seedlings are 4 - 6cm tall, pot them up into individual containers and they should be ready to plant out 5 - 6 months later. Seed can be stored for prolonged periods without loss of viability. Cuttings. In Costa Rica, the plant is propagated by means of large cuttings ('epicormic shoots'). Vertical shoots of 15 cm in diameter are cut and trimmed to a length of 2.5 metres. These are laid out in the shade for a week and then stacked vertically for three weeks. Then they are planted, with the lower ends buried 50 cm deep in the soil. Layering.
Best place to grow:
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Appleblossom cassia, Canafistula, Carao, Kalaa-phruek, Kotek mamak, Ngu-padamya, Nguzat-gyi, O moi, Pink shower, Sandal, Stinking toe, Trembalo-wang-wang
Synonyms
Bactyrilobium grande Hornem. Bactyrilobium molle Schrad. Cassia brasiliana Lam. Cassia brasiliensis Buc'hoz Cassia mollis Vahl Cassia pachycarpa de Wit Cassia regia Standl. Cathartocarpus brasilianus (Lam.) Jacq. Cathartocarpus erubescens Ham. Cathartocarpus grandis (L.f.) Pers.