CLOSED: ID needed, pls - - I have zillions of seeds to offer

This thread is closed now.   Please use the following link to jump to the seed offer:   http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/815702/


- - - - - Original posting - - - - -

The following photos are of some splendid large shrubs  (shrub trees??)  that border the parking lot of a Chinese restaurant here in OzTown. I've loved seeing them for over 20 years but only got the bug to grow my own last fall when these were putting out zillions of seed pods and my seed-snatchin' Jones kicked in big time.

The original owner of the restaurant planted them, reportedly bringing them from Viet Nam. He's since retired and no longer lives nearby and the present owners have no idea what they are other than very beautiful and bountiful when it comes to producing their fragrantyellow blossoms. So these are to me, at this time, an unknown plant. I have seen it growing in other parts of the city, but none of the owners of the properties where they thrive know what the heck they are either.

If you know  what this plant is, please give me a shout with D-Mail. I would love to know what they are so that I can share the wealth of seeds I have harvested, cleaned, and dried from the past fall.

TIA . . . and ATBTY !     ~     £az£o


This message was edited Feb 20, 2008 11:27 AM

second photo . . .

third photo . . .

fourth & final photo . . .

Lazlo post this in the tree and shrub forum. They are very good at IDing things. I have a guess but don't have the time right now to look something up.

Welcome back Lazlo!!!

It looks like it's a cassia

Maybe http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2173/

Cassia bahamensis

Hi Lazlo,

I'm almost certain this is a Cassia, perhaps Cassia fistula (sy. Senna fistula). Seeds should look like this:


This message was edited Feb 18, 2008 6:47 PM

That is beautiful. And the seeds look so interesting. I would certainly be interested in a swap. I don't have much, but I'm willing to do postage, etc. What ever is needed. I'll check Plant files, I want to see how tall these get. :) Thank you for sharing.

Hi Lazlo.
I certainly agree it is a Cassia but I might be leaning more towards Senna surattensis ( or cassia suranttensis, everyone's spelling seems to be different) but does it really matter? There are sooo many Cassia's out there. It is beautiful and well worth growing especially if you want to attract Sulfur Butterflys. Their caterpillars eat these up like a house afire. You might want to drop a line in the Butterfly forum, I am sure they might be interested in some of your seeds. Trudi



This message was edited Feb 18, 2008 3:13 PM

I've found several different sites and I'm really confused. I was getting palm trees and tropicals. I'm in zone 7b actually closer ot 8 because of the micro climate here. Is it hardy in my area and how big does this get?

doccat5,
Look up Cassia in plant files or use CoreHH5's link. I don't think they are hardy in 7B but if you are leaning to 8 then maybe you will be ok. If they are free seeds, just look on it as an experiment. The worse that will happen is you will be out postage. Most Cassia will be happy as a large bush. They will either start out that way, you can trim them that way or they will die to the ground and grow back that way. And like most bushes you can crop back to 6 feet to keep it under control. Assuming that it doesn't die back every winter. Also Cassia's are pretty fast growers, so by next winter, they would have flowered and made seeds for you so you could start all over. Trudi

Gang - thanks for the responses but i am still looking for the right info.

It is not a Cassia bahamensis - aka Senna ligustrina and Privet Cassia . . . the subject plant's leaves have rounded tips while the privet cassia's are quite pointed.

Also, the seeds are much, much smaller than those shown in the photo that Tuinkabouter provided - of Cassia fistula . . . .the pods of the subject plant do not hang from long strings and do not have short-lived blossoms but long-lasting blossoms. Cassia fistula also have more pointed leaves than does the subject plant.

Here in Zone 8b, the bushes were still blooming in early February !! Admittedly, we're having a warmer than usual winter, but the blossoms are still usually around until shortly after New Year's Day in other years.

Trudi - - i think the closest thing is your suggestion of the Cassia surattensis, or Sunshine Tree. i am going to hunt down more photos of this species than are in the PlantFiles as there are but two of them and one of them is not very good. however, based on the one clear and sharp photo in the database it just may be the right plant.

will keep y'all posted ~ £az

Okie dokie - - i think we're all done here, thanks to Trudi's excellent lead.

This darned thing seems to certainly be (to me) the Senna surattensis, aka Cassia surattensis, Cassia suffruticosa, or Cassia surattensis var. suffruticosa. Commonly it is known as the Sunshine Tree, Scrambled Egg Tree, or Glossy Shower.

Here's a link to one last picture ==> http://www.nparks.gov.sg/nursery/uploadfiles/sennasurattensis02flo.JPG

on web site of Singapore's national parks - - their listing have lots of varience from those we commonly see but this is the subject plant nonetheless. Check it for yourself . . . I'm off to prepare packets for trades and SASEs . . . cya L8r ;-)

~ £az

That looks dead on to me.

Trudi3, I'd love to try it, since I'm a zone pusher from way back. I do have a sheltered area where it would fit perfectly. Let me know when you are ready to trade, please and what you want. Thanks for sharing, that is just beautiful.

Cathy needs a greenhouse......LOL It's too cold here to play with some of these pretties. :(

Lazlo has the seeds. In your area it will be a bush and die back for sure every year. I really don't think you'll ever get that to flower. More a problem with to short of a growing season.

This message was edited Feb 19, 2008 10:56 AM

BTW, a great site for identifying unknown tropical plants: http://www.toptropicals.com/

I actually just browse through that web site look for stuff to get. LOL.