Giant · Medicinal
Rain Tree or Monkeypod Tree
Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr.
Central America to Brazil
Fun factThe name 'rain tree' refers to the leaflets folding before rain and to the drip of secretions from cicadas resting on the branches; in Malay it is called pukul lima, 'five o'clock', for the time the leaves close.
A large, broad-crowned tree whose spreading, umbrella-shaped canopy is often wider than the tree is tall, carried on long, stout, nearly horizontal branches. The feathery leaves fold up in the early evening and on overcast days, and the pink powder-puff flowers are followed by flat dark pods filled with sweet sticky pulp. It is one of the great shade trees of the tropical Americas.
Sourced · see Record tab
8on the estate
1carrying a tag
5sponsored
FamilyFabaceae
Spanish nameSamán
Also known asRain tree, Monkeypod, Cow tamarind, East Indian walnut, Rain Tree
Native toCentral America (Mexico's Yucatán and Guatemala) south through Venezuela to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil; widely planted throughout the tropics
| Tag | Garden area | Zone | Planted | Status | Sponsored | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | Welcome Center Entrance | B | 26 May 2014 | Healthy | Jasmine G., USA | |
| — | House Site | D | 1 June 2015 | Planted | Susan P., USA | |
| — | House Site | D | 1 June 2015 | Planted | Susan P., USA | |
| — | Top Hill North Side | D | 13 June 2017 | Planted | — | |
| — | Top Hill North Side | D | 13 June 2017 | Planted | — | |
| — | Top Hill North Side | D | 13 June 2017 | Planted | — | |
| — | — | — | — | Planted | Rani R., Mauritius | |
| — | Top Hill South Side | D | 13 June 2017 | Planted | Mat M., USA |
7 of these have no tag yet; they will be numbered when the garden team re-tags the estate.