Scientific name: Cassia fistula

IUCN Red List threat level: Least Concern

GPS Location: 17° 42′ 59.61” N, 64° 49′ 47.97” W

Medicinal Uses

Cassia fistula (Golden Shower Tree/Amaltas) is a versatile medicinal plant used in traditional systems for its laxative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic properties, with its fruit pulp commonly treating constipation, roots healing skin issues and fever, and leaves helping with coughs, benefiting various ailments like gout, heart problems, and jaundice, utilizing nearly all plant parts for remedies. 

Key Medicinal Uses & Properties

• Digestive Health: The fruit pulp acts as a powerful laxative, relieving constipation, indigestion, and intestinal worms; it also helps with abdominal gas.
• Anti-inflammatory: Used for skin diseases, leprosy, boils, rheumatism, and reducing inflammation.
• Antioxidant & Antimicrobial: Possesses properties that fight bacteria, fungi, and oxidative stress, useful for infections and ulcers.
• Fever & Infection: Root and leaf extracts help reduce high temperatures (febrifuge) and fight infections like malaria.
• Skin Conditions: Root paste treats skin issues, burns, ringworm, and leprosy; leaf extracts help with fungal skin infections.
• Diabetes: Traditionally used to manage blood sugar, with studies showing hypoglycemic potential.
• Respiratory: Leaf extracts can relieve dry coughs and sinus problems.
• Cardiac: Bark and root extracts support heart health. 

Plant Parts & Applications

• Fruit Pulp: Laxative, treats constipation, intestinal issues, and burns.
• Roots: Purgative, diuretic, treats skin diseases, fever, syphilis, cardiac issues.
• Leaves: Laxative, treats skin diseases, cough, burns.
• Bark: Used for leprosy, diabetes, cardiac problems, boils, and strangury (painful urination).
• Flowers: Used in teas for diabetes management and nanoparticle synthesis. 

Traditional Preparations

• Laxative: Soak pulp in water overnight, strain, add sweetener, and drink.
• Fever: Boil root/leaf extracts and drink.
• Sinus/Cough: Inhale fumes from burning roots.
• Topical: Paste of root (with ghee or water) for skin issues; pulp applied to naval for gas.

Observations:

Phenological Markers – Shower of Gold Tree (Cassia fistula)

1. Leaf Behavior
This tree is deciduous, typically shedding most or all of its leaves just before flowering, often resulting in a visually dramatic, flower-covered tree with bare branches.

• Leaves are compound, with 3–8 pairs of smooth-edged, oval leaflets.
• Leaf drop occurs primarily in the late dry season (February–April), shortly before the onset of rains.

Observation Tips:

• Watch for complete or near-complete leaf drop in early spring.
• Record timing of new leaf flush, which usually follows flowering.

2. Flowering
Produces large, pendulous clusters of bright yellow flowers, each with five petals and prominent stamens.

• Flowering usually begins in late dry to early wet season, typically April–June in St. Croix.
• The display is often spectacular and nearly leafless, enhancing visibility.
• Flowers are lightly fragrant and attract bees and butterflies.

Observation Tips:

• Document first bloom, peak flowering, and decline.
• Capture the “golden shower” effect during full bloom.
• Note pollinator activity, especially during warm, sunny days.

3. Fruiting
Fruits are long, cylindrical pods (up to 2 feet), dark brown to black when mature, and filled with flattened seeds in sticky pulp compartments.

• Pods develop after flowering and hang conspicuously from branches.
• Fruiting season usually spans June–September, with pods persisting into fall.

Observation Tips:

• Track pod formation, color change, and persistence.
• Note seed drop and wildlife interaction, particularly birds or monkeys in other tropical regions (less likely in St. Croix).

4. Growth Habit
Cassia fistula forms a medium-sized tree with an open, spreading crown.

• It is often used in ornamental settings for its showy seasonal flowers and fast growth.

5. Seasonal Pattern (St. Croix)

• Jan–Mar: Leaf drop
• Apr–Jun: Spectacular flowering, often with bare branches
• Jun–Sep: Pod development and seed formation
• Oct–Dec: New leaf flush and canopy regrowth