Pink Shower Tree Seeds | Wishing Tree | (Cassia bakeriana)

A tropical canopy that stops traffic. Pink flowers wall to wall before a single leaf opens.

Cassia bakeriana, the Pink Shower Tree or Wishing Tree, is one of the most spectacular flowering trees available in tropical and subtropical horticulture, producing an overwhelming display of soft pink to rose-pink flowers covering the entire canopy on bare branches in late winter and early spring in a show so complete that the tree appears to be draped in pink cloud. Native to Thailand and Southeast Asia, it is widely planted across tropical regions worldwide as a flowering street and garden tree and is considered one of the finest flowering trees in the world by tropical horticulturists who have access to the broadest range of tropical ornamentals available anywhere. The flowers are delicate, each with five soft petals in shades from pale blush to deep rose, and they appear in such density across every branch that the underlying branch structure disappears entirely during peak bloom. If you are looking to buy Pink Shower Tree seeds or grow Cassia bakeriana from seed, this is the tropical flowering tree that delivers the most complete and saturated floral display available in warm climates.

• Complete canopy coverage in soft pink to rose flowers on bare branches, one of the most spectacular flowering displays in tropical horticulture
• Flowers appear before leaves, maximizing the visual impact of the bloom with no foliage competing for attention
• Known as the Wishing Tree in Thailand, associated with ceremonies and celebrations across its native region
• Fast-growing in tropical conditions, reaching flowering size within a few years from seed
• Seed-grown trees produce natural variation in flower color from pale blush to deep rose

Things you probably did not know about the Pink Shower Tree

The tree blooms most spectacularly during the dry season when water stress triggers flower production. Cassia bakeriana, like many tropical flowering trees, responds to drought stress by producing a massive flowering display. In its native Thailand, the tree blooms at the end of the dry season before the monsoon rains return, using the stored energy from the previous wet season to produce a reproductive display timed to coincide with optimal pollinator activity. Gardeners in warm climates can encourage blooming by reducing irrigation in late winter before the desired bloom period.

In Thailand it is called Wissaeng or Ratchaphruek and is planted at temples, palaces, and celebration sites. The Pink Shower Tree holds significant cultural and ceremonial importance across Thailand, planted at Buddhist temples for its association with beauty, purity, and good fortune. Couples seeking blessings for marriage and families seeking wishes for prosperity plant or visit Pink Shower Trees at specific temples during bloom season, a tradition that gives the tree its Wishing Tree common name. The tree's association with celebration and ceremony across Thai culture reflects a centuries-old recognition of its extraordinary beauty.

The flowers are edible and used in traditional Thai cuisine. The flowers and young leaves of Cassia bakeriana are consumed in Thailand, where the flowers are used as a vegetable in salads, stir-fries, and curries, and the petals are eaten fresh as a garnish. The flavor is mildly bitter and slightly sweet, accepted in Thai culinary tradition as a seasonal vegetable available during the brief flowering period. The practice of eating flowers from flowering trees has a longer tradition in Thai cooking than in most western cuisines.

It is closely related to the Golden Shower Tree and produces similar pods. Cassia bakeriana belongs to the same genus as Cassia fistula, the Golden Shower Tree, and produces the characteristic long, cylindrical seed pods of the Cassia genus. The pods mature slowly over the dry season following bloom and contain seeds separated by a sweet, dark, sticky pulp that has been used medicinally as a mild laxative across the tree's native range, the same application documented for the closely related Golden Shower.

Growing Details

• Botanical Name: Cassia bakeriana
• Stratification: Required, scarification of the hard seed coat, then 30 days warm stratification
• USDA Zones: 10 to 12
• Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile, tolerates alkaline conditions
• Light: Full sun
• Height: 25 to 40 feet
• Spread: 25 to 35 feet
• Growth Rate: Moderate to fast in tropical conditions, 2 to 3 feet per year

Plant it in full sun in zone 10 or warmer in the most visible location available. Reduce irrigation in late winter to encourage the dry-season flowering response. When it covers itself in pink on bare branches in February you will understand why it is called the most beautiful flowering tree in Southeast Asia.