Feathery compound foliage of bipinnate golden raintree is accentuated by airy clusters of yellow flowers in summer, and papery, pinkish tan seedpods soon thereafter. A rounded deciduous tree with an irregular branching habit with cracking gray bark, it hails from southwestern China. The leaves are bi-pinnately compound - a central leaf stem petiole branches again into lined stems of long, pointed, tooth-edged, bright green leaflets. Emerging leaflets are light green with a coppery cast. In late summer thin, wispy-stemmed clusters of yellow flowers arise from branch tips creating a lovely display above the dark green foliage. The individual flowers are small, four-petaled, and have a tiny orange speck at the petal bases. The pods that quickly form after being pollinated by bees are papery, three-chambered pods that are often called "Chinese lanterns", dangling from the branches. They are rosy-pink when young, gradualy drying to be more a pale rosy-tan. A tree filled with the pods is perhaps as pretty as when in flower, but is certainly a differently textured display. The seeds readily germinate around the base of the tree, leading to weedy seedlings in the landscape. In fall the foliage can turn a quickly turn an inconsistent yellow before dropping.Bipinnate golden raintree is tolerant of many conditions and are great urban trees tolerant of pollution, heat, salt and drought. It excels in well-drained soil and full sun but will grow in partial shade. It has an open, rangy, leaning habit and brittle wood which breaks during windstorms or from heavy snow or ice. Prune while young to establish good branch structure and a tidy shape. The seeds of this tree are fertile and pop-up around the landscape. It is great in providing broken shade to patios, as a street tree or in small yards and landscapes.
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