Description
The Goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) is a small ornamental tree of great visual interest, prized for its bright yellow summer flowering, its light, elegant foliage, and its highly decorative lantern-shaped fruits. Hardy, undemanding and original, it fits perfectly into European gardens, where it brings an exotic yet refined atmosphere.
Its ornamental value extends across several seasons: delicate foliage in spring, spectacular flowering in summer, followed by decorative fruits and golden autumn colouration. It is a tree with a strong personality, ideal as a focal point in the garden.
The Goldenrain tree was discovered in China in the mid-18th century by the French missionary and botanist Pierre Nicolas d’Incarville, who described it in 1750.
It was introduced to France in 1789, where it quickly attracted the interest of botanists and gardeners.
Its common name refers to the former use of its fruit pulp rich in saponins, which was historically exploited to produce natural soap. This practical use contributed to its early spread in European botanical collections.
Koelreuteria paniculata is a deciduous tree of moderate size, typically reaching:
Its moderate growth rate makes it easy to integrate into private gardens.
The trunk is usually short, with grey-brown bark that becomes slightly fissured with age.
The foliage of the Goldenrain tree is light and decorative.
The leaves are pinnate to bipinnate, composed of elongated leaflets, and display a fresh green colour throughout spring and summer.
In autumn, the foliage turns yellow to golden, extending the ornamental season and bringing warm tones to the garden before leaf fall.
Flowering is one of the tree’s main ornamental features.
It occurs in summer, usually from July to August, a period when few trees are in bloom.
The bright yellow flowers are borne in large, upright panicles, lightly scented and highly attractive to pollinating insects.
During flowering, the tree becomes a striking visual highlight, bringing light and colour to the landscape.
After flowering, distinctive seed capsules develop, measuring 4 to 6 cm.
Initially green, they gradually turn pinkish to brown, resembling small paper lanterns.
These fruits contain round, hard seeds and often persist into autumn, enhancing the tree’s ornamental value well beyond the flowering period.
The Goldenrain tree is undemanding:
A sunny position is essential for abundant flowering and fruiting.
It is very hardy, tolerating temperatures below –20 °C.
Planting is best carried out:
Maintenance is minimal:
A robust, long-lived and low-maintenance ornamental tree.
Koelreuteria paniculata is ideal:
This tree is rarely affected by diseases or pests.
Problems may arise mainly from:
Under suitable conditions, it is reliable and long-lived.
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