RAIN TREE (Samanea Saman)
Also known as Monkey Pod tree, the rain tree originated from South America. This common wayside tree, by the end of the 19th century had spread throughout the tropics, arriving in Malaya in 1876. Planted chiefly as a shade tree because of it’s generous crown which can be 25 to 30 meter across, the rain tree is a perfect example of the so-called umbrella style of tree architecture. Because the reproductive parts need the stimulus of strong sunlight, the side branches of such trees grow faster than the center, lifting the flowering parts up to the crown and the outer surfaces. The result is a pleasant umbrella-shape, offering a fine display of color in the flowering season. It has short stout trunk with greyish bark which is smooth when young & fissured and flaky when matured. It’s twice pinnate compound leaves close before sunset and open at sunrise to conserve water. The flowering period is long, spaced over two months, during which they are covered with flowers. The flowers are small pompoms with a mass of bright pink stamens. Because the flowering period is so long, the fruit, a long dark pod, appears long before the flowers fade. Fruits are fleshy pods containing a sweetish pulp that both children and cattle are fond of. The fruits turn black upon ripening and split open upon maturity. The rain tree is a fast grower, like many leguminous species and its wood is correspondingly soft and relatively useless. To conserve moisture in its own leaves, it closes its own leaves at nightfall, or earlier during a cloudy day. Hence the name rain tree, because when it has a droopy appearance, it is said to forecast the coming of rain. The Rain Tree is also known as "PUKUL LIMA" (5 O'CLOCK TREE in Malay) because the leaves start to close when the time approaches 5’o clock. Mature rain trees can be spectacular, often laden with exotic epiphytes such as Bird's Nest Fern, Tiger Orchids and Pigeon Orchids. It's large and long surface roots easily uplifts pavements.
There is also another rain tree species with attractive yellowish foliage known as Golden or Yellow Rain Tree. This variety is due to a genetically recessive gene, resulting in a color change in foliage from light green to golden yellow at different times of the year, more pronounced during dry periods, and greener during rainy season.
In Venezuela, one variety is a national treasure, reputed to be more than 500 years old and considered outstanding by genus standards. "Saman" in its name is derived from "zamang", meaning "Mimosoideae Tree" in Northern Venezuela.
Do you know.. at 9.30am on Nov 7, 1971, Goh Keng Swee, who was the acting prime minister at the time, planted a Rain Tree sapling on the summit of Mount Faber, launching the Tree Planting Day. On that day, volunteers planted 8,400 trees and 21,677 shrubs and creepers.
There is also another rain tree species with attractive yellowish foliage known as Golden or Yellow Rain Tree. This variety is due to a genetically recessive gene, resulting in a color change in foliage from light green to golden yellow at different times of the year, more pronounced during dry periods, and greener during rainy season.
In Venezuela, one variety is a national treasure, reputed to be more than 500 years old and considered outstanding by genus standards. "Saman" in its name is derived from "zamang", meaning "Mimosoideae Tree" in Northern Venezuela.
Do you know.. at 9.30am on Nov 7, 1971, Goh Keng Swee, who was the acting prime minister at the time, planted a Rain Tree sapling on the summit of Mount Faber, launching the Tree Planting Day. On that day, volunteers planted 8,400 trees and 21,677 shrubs and creepers.