Other Names:  Spectacular Cassia, Crown of Gold Tree

Description:

A medium sized tree with small oval, fuzzy compound leaves, and covered with racemes of yellow pea-like flowers in flushes throughout the year; excellent as a landscape feature or street tree; considered invasive in some areas

Ornamental Features

Whitebark Senna features showy racemes of yellow cup-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from late winter to late fall. It has attractive dark green foliage with grayish green undersides. The oval compound leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color. The fruits are showy green pods displayed in mid spring. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up. The warty gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Whitebark Senna is an open multi-stemmed deciduous tree with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds and bees to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading
• Invasive
• Self-Seeding

Whitebark Senna is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Whitebark Senna will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.