Golden Rain Trees

There are not that many tree species that seem custom-made for our harsh high desert environment, and surprisingly some of those that do really well here are from very distant parts of the world. One such tree is the Golden Rain Tree (Koelrueteria paniculata to the plant nerds). This lovely tree hails from northern China and was growing in Korea and Japan by the early 1200’s.

Maturing at about thirty feet tall and wide, the tree has an irregular and open branching form. It has large compound leaves, and in summer masses of cheerful yellow blossoms cover the tree; those in turn are covered with bees and other pollinators. The fruits that follow the blooms are dry fruits, and they hang down from the branches like so many little oriental paper lanterns. Though considered invasive in some places (Florida, for instance), they are well behaved here. They tolerate drought, dense soils and air pollution, making them a good urban tree choice for us.

The only real downside is that they attract a little bug called the box-elder bug. These black bugs with red shoulders mass on the tree, feeding on the seeds (helping to prevent the tree from being invasive!) and mating. They don’t cause any real problem except for an “ick” factor! 

Plant this tree not too close to the house (so the bugs don’t hang out on the walls), and you should get decades of lovely, low-maintenance tree presence from this lovely tree. Legacy Tree is happy to do the planting for you!

Click here to find out more about our Albuquerque tree removal services.