Cassia fistula

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MikeHardman

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Re: Cassia fistula
« Reply #15 on: September 25, 2011, 08:31:16 PM »
Thanks John.
You could be right.
When I looked at JohnF's photos I discounted mine being the same species because the leaves are narrower on mine, and when I looked at some other photos, I saw the same thing. Also, Wikipedia had the height of S. corymbosa as up to 1m - much smaller than mine.
But looking at more examples, I find ones with leaves as narrow as mine, and mentions of height up to 3m.
The flowers are certainly a good match for JohnF's.
So I'm happy to go with S. corymbosa.
Thanks both.
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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MikeHardman

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Re: Cassia fistula
« Reply #16 on: October 07, 2011, 07:30:48 AM »
Another Senna (Cassia) needing the application of some great minds!...

I think this is Senna artemisioides; what does the team think?...
And if so, which subspecies - there are quite a few...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senna_artemisioides

(poor photo, it was a quick snap in the garden centre)
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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oron peri

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Re: Cassia fistula
« Reply #17 on: October 07, 2011, 07:51:17 AM »
Mike
It is Senna artemisoides subsp. sturtii.
A very drought resistent, no need to water it after the second seoson.
Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.

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MikeHardman

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Re: Cassia fistula
« Reply #18 on: October 07, 2011, 08:57:35 AM »
Thank you Oron
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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John J

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Re: Cassia fistula
« Reply #19 on: July 02, 2017, 07:12:55 AM »
I realize that nothing has been posted on this topic for a few years. Since my initial posting we have acquired 2 Cassia fistula trees, both still very small. Both seem to be displaying slightly strange behavior. The smaller of the two has shed last year's leaves and has begun recently to open new ones, while the other has hung on to its old leaves and is showing no inclination to produce new ones.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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MikeHardman

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Re: Cassia fistula
« Reply #20 on: July 02, 2017, 07:32:45 AM »
Not re Cassia, but re Brachychiton and perhaps of relevance ...

I have four B. populneus in a short row, ostensibly the same soil, situation, watering, etc.
They were all grown from seed collected at the same time from below street trees in Paphos, sown at the same time, planted at the same time.

One of them always produces its new flush of leaves later than the other three (which are pretty much in sync). I attribute this to chance minor variation in the species, and that pertains whether or not the seeds call came from the same particular street tree or not.

I see no reason why similar variation should not occur in Cassia or other trees.
But I can imagine environmantal factors could also produce similar results.

Mike

Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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MikeHardman

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Senna corymbosa
« Reply #21 on: October 30, 2018, 10:16:53 PM »
Further to my post of 2011...

I collected and grew more seed of Senna corymbosa (I presume), from a different parent plant.
It germinated well. I planted out the saplings at the start of the year, and despite regular watering it seemed to make only a little growth. But it remained healthy, and this month It has flowered for the first time.
It is really very pleasing: lovely large bright yellow flowers in abundance, persisting well despite some storms. And they seem to be pest-free. Love em!

Mike
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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MikeHardman

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Senna corymbosa update
« Reply #22 on: December 26, 2018, 12:13:06 PM »
Update re my Senna corymbosa...

My plants flowered for 2 or 3 months; there are still a few flowers now. Very pleasing.
Seed pods are now well developed, though still green (see photo).

I have read that this species can become invasive, so I plan to collect all the seed pods before they shed seed. Am I being overly cautious? Perhaps invasiveness would be curtailed by our long hot summers without irrigation?

Also, I have a more tree-like Senna, which grew from seed. Although it produces seed every year, and I do nothing to harvest it, it has not given rise to a single self-sown seedling in the six years since I planted it out.
Maybe that answers my question...

//Mike
« Last Edit: December 26, 2018, 12:16:46 PM by MikeHardman »
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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John J

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Re: Cassia fistula
« Reply #23 on: July 15, 2019, 09:36:52 AM »
I started this thread off with a photo of a Cassia fistula in full bloom, not mine but in a garden we were passing one day. Later we acquired 2 small trees of our own and have been patiently (well, sort of) waiting for one or other of them to flower. One of them has and flower is the right word as it produced a single bloom! 
It may be the Golden Shower tree but all ours managed was one drop.  :(
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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MikeHardman

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Re: Cassia fistula
« Reply #24 on: July 15, 2019, 09:43:00 AM »
Well, it is a nice flower, John. I hope it is merely a hint of a taste of things to come. It may be precocious; the main flowering may be later this summer.
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England