Golden-flower cassia is a rare tree species suitable for landscaping

Golden-flower cassia is bred by crossing American golden-edged cassia (Senna bicapsularis) and dual-pod cassia (Senna didymobotrya), and is a deciduous small tree or shrub form. It has wide adaptability, vigorous growth, strong resistance, drought tolerance, and high-temperature tolerance. The plant height is 3 m to 4 m, with 5 to 7 pairs of leaflets. It blooms from mid-July each year, with one inflorescence per leaf, 7 to 12 flowers per inflorescence, opening from bottom to top, blooming continuously, with few leaves and many flowers. The flowers resemble wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), forming a tree full of blossoms; the buds are like golden beans, and the flowers are like golden butterflies. It bears pod-like fruits and belongs to the Fabaceae family. It grows vigorously, with lush branches and leaves, and a large quantity of bright, golden-yellow flowers, hence its laudatory name "treasure-gathering golden tree." When cold frost arrives, its flourishing display does not fade, and the leaves fall but the flowers do not, filling the gap of having no ornamental flowering trees in early winter, and it is of rather high quality.

Golden-flower cassia is evergreen in the subtropics, and is suited for open-ground planting in areas south of the Great Wall where the temperature is above -17°C. In cold regions, it is grown in pots as bonsai, and moved into a sunny indoor space during its peak flowering period in winter.

Golden-flower cassia is a robust plant by nature, and small seedlings 80 to 100 cm tall can bloom in 1 year. Its tree form is clean and refreshingly bright and beautiful, and it is very popular. Because seedling propagation has not yet reached scale, it is still rarely seen in landscaping in towns, streets, parks, and the like, and it is a rare variety.

Cultivation points: The best soil for cultivation is well-drained loam or sandy loam, and sunlight must be sufficient. During the vigorous growth period, apply fertilizer once every 1 to 2 months, and prune and shape once from late winter to early spring. Aged plants should be heavily pruned to promote new shoots and achieve the goal of many branches and abundant flowers.

Pot cultivation: Choose a large pot larger than 33 cm, with loose and fertile potting soil, and prune and shape according to preference. It dislikes waterlogging and is drought tolerant, and the suitable growth temperature is 15 to 33°C.

Propagation: Mainly by seed sowing, and also possible by cuttings. Cut current-year woody branches, soak the branches in water with ABT No. 2 rooting powder at a concentration of 50 mg/kg for 2 to 3 hours, then insert them as cuttings. This is best done in spring or early summer, and the seedbed should be kept moist; rooting is easy.