This beautiful flowering tree is Pink Shower, Cassia javanica. It is also known as Java Cassia, Apple Blossom Tree and Rainbow Shower Tree. It belongs to the legume family, Fabaceae, and is native from northeastern India through Southeast Asia to New Guinea and northern Australia. It is now planted widely throughout the tropics for its spectacular flowers.

Pink Shower usually grows as a medium to large tree with a broad, spreading crown. When mature, it can provide considerable shade, although its branches may become wide and somewhat irregular.

The leaves are compound, with several pairs of oval leaflets arranged along a central stalk. During a pronounced dry season, the tree may shed some of its foliage before flowering.

The blossoms are its most memorable feature. They appear in large, hanging clusters and range from pale pink and rose to deeper crimson shades. Yellow stamens at the center create a bright contrast with the petals.

Flowers within the same cluster may open and age at different times, so one tree can display several shades at once. The effect resembles a shower of pink blossoms falling through the crown, which explains the common name.

Bees and other insects visit the flowers for pollen and help transfer it between blossoms. When the tree is in full bloom, the crown may attract a noticeable amount of pollinator activity.

After flowering, Pink Shower produces long, dark-brown seed pods. They are cylindrical rather than flat and may remain hanging from the branches long after the flowers have disappeared.

Inside, the pod is divided into chambers containing numerous seeds. The pods do not create the same delicate display as the flowers, but their size, shape and persistence provide useful clues for identifying the tree outside its flowering season.

Like many cassias, Pink Shower grows best in warmth and strong sunlight. It performs well in tropical gardens with adequate moisture and room for its spreading crown.

The tree may be confused with other pink-flowering cassias, including Cassia grandis and certain cultivated hybrids. Flower color, leaflet form and the shape of the mature pods may all be needed for a confident identification.

Pink Shower is therefore a tree valued primarily for transformation. For much of the year, it appears to be a handsome but ordinary shade tree. When flowering begins, the crown becomes filled with great clusters of pink, rose and crimson blossoms.

When presenting it to a group, the best feature to emphasize is the range of flower colors. A single cluster can resemble an entire bouquet, with pale new blossoms beside older, deeper-colored flowers.