Current Road Litter--next in a series

<>After quite a hiatus, suddenly there are flower petals littering streets and park drives throughout New York City. Most NYC trees send out flowers in May or June. <>What is this tree blooming at the end of July?

<>It is the Golden Rain Tree ( Koelreuteria paniculata)

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Though the information sheet below says it blooms in late May or June, it is a July bloomer,hereabouts and surprises New Yorkers year after year. These are the only weeks people become aware of how many of these trees there are as they step on the carpet of small, whitish petals everywhere. By next week they'll be gone.

Why are there so many Golden Rain Trees in the city? The information below answers the question of why this is such a popular tree for urban plantings. It is tolerant of poor soil.

Golden Rain Tree

Classification: Deciduous USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9

Size:

• 15' to 20' width X 25' to 30' height

Growth Habit:

• Small, compact
• Oval-crowned
• Moderate growth rate

Golden Rain Tree Furrowed Bark

Bark:

• Generally silver-gray to gray brown
• Older bark becomes shallowly furrowed

Golden Rain Tree Deciduous	Golden Rain Tree Compound Leaf

Foliage:

• Deciduous; full yellow to yellow-orange fall color
• Compound leaves
• Alternate leaf arrangement (leaflets are opposite)
• Deep green to almost blue-green above, light green below
• Fine to medium texture

Golden Rain Tree Inflorescence Terminal Clusters	Papery-walled Seed Capsules

Inflorescence:

• Terminal clusters covering the tree
• Each flower is about .5" diameter
• Yellow with orange markings at the base
• Blooms June or late May

Fruit:

• Papery-walled, bladder like capsule
• Light yellow to brown changing to light red brown
• Persists into the winter

Use:

• Small ornamental tree

Problems:

• Red Shoulder Bug (Jadera haematoloma)

Culture:

• Full sun
• Grows almost anywhere
• Tolerant of poor soils

Propagation:

• Seed

Notes:

• Flower and fruit are quite showy