Brisbane tree guide

Golden shower tree

Cassia fistula · also called Golden shower, Indian laburnum, Pudding-pipe tree

The golden shower tree is a South-east Asian tree grown for its long, hanging chains of bright yellow flowers in the warmer months, followed by dark pods up to 60 cm long. It forms a spreading tree that drops some of its leaves in dry weather. Brisbane City Council includes it on its weed list, without any legal requirement, because it has escaped into riverbank vegetation around Brisbane.

Exotic
On Brisbane's weed list
8 to 18 m tall
Flowers December to May

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Golden shower tree, from Wikimedia Commons — Photo: Delonix, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Golden shower tree at a glance

Height: 8 to 18 m (up to 20 m in the wild)
Leaves: Semi-deciduous
Flowers: Yellow, December to May
Origin: South-east Asia
Family: Fabaceae

How to identify a golden shower tree

A spreading tree with long compound leaves, 10 to 50 cm long, each carrying several pairs of large oval leaflets that are bright green above and paler below. The flowers give it away: bright yellow, about 4 to 7 cm across, hanging in drooping chains 15 to 65 cm long. They are followed by stiff, cylindrical pods 30 to 60 cm long that turn dark brown to black. Don't confuse it with Council's street tree called golden shower, Cassia 'Paluma Range', a native that stays at 4 to 7 metres, or the native Leichhardt bean, which has yellow and red flowers.

Growing a golden shower tree in Brisbane

Golden shower trees are widely grown in subtropical and tropical Australia, Brisbane included, and flower through the warmer months; Council's weed tool gives spring to autumn. The tree can drop some leaves in dry spells. Council records it escaping from gardens into riverbank vegetation along the Brisbane River at St Lucia and the Bremer River at Ipswich, and into disturbed forest on Coochiemudlo Island. The former Maroochy Shire on the Sunshine Coast also listed it as a weed. Keep it well away from creeks and bushland.

What to watch out for

It is on Brisbane City Council's weed list, with no legal requirement attached, because seed spreads from gardens into riverbanks and bushland. Pull out seedlings early and avoid planting it near creeks or bushland. The common name is shared with some native trees, so check the botanical name, Cassia fistula, before buying or removing one.

Seedlings. It can spread from gardens into riverbank vegetation; Council has recorded it along the Brisbane River at St Lucia and the Bremer River at Ipswich.

Pruning and care

Golden shower trees need little routine pruning. Take out dead, damaged or crossing branches and lift low limbs that block paths, and leave large limbs near roofs or power lines to a qualified arborist. Because Council treats it as a weed, cut off old pods you can reach, pull out seedlings while they are small, and never dump prunings or pods in bushland. Young trees need regular water until established.

Golden shower tree: your questions

Short answers, from the sources below.

Back to the tree guide

Is the golden shower tree a weed in Brisbane?

Brisbane City Council includes it on its weed list, but with no legal declaration or requirement attached. It is listed because it has escaped into riverbank vegetation around Brisbane, so it is worth pulling out any seedlings.

When does the golden shower tree flower in Brisbane?

It flowers in the warmer months, mainly summer into autumn. Council's weed tool gives spring to autumn for Brisbane, and Flora of Australia gives summer and autumn.

How tall does a golden shower tree grow?

Flora of Australia records it reaching up to 20 metres, though it is often grown as a smaller tree. It has a spreading habit, so allow room for the canopy.

Is the golden shower tree native to Australia?

No. Cassia fistula comes from South-east Asia. The name is also used for some native cassias, including the Leichhardt bean and Cassia 'Paluma Range', which Brisbane City Council plants as a street tree.

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Sources and credits

Photo: Delonix, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

This profile updates sheet 15 of the plant profile booklet made for Colourful Tree Lopping in 2013. We checked every fact against current sources and rewrote it for the guide.

Checked October 2026. Weed listings and council rules change: check the council's and the Queensland Government's pages before you act.