Showers and more showers… of petals from trees!

Rainbow Shower trees / Kapiolani Park / July 2016

It is a beautiful time of year in Hawai’i when our flowering trees are in full color! I have been waiting to do this blog to highlight one of my favorite sights - high season of our colorful, showy Rainbow Shower trees. 

Apparently many others over the years share my love as the Rainbow Shower tree is the official tree of Honolulu! Article

I left for a trip in early June and very few Shower trees were blooming. When I returned in the third week of June, the bursting forth blossoming beauty had begun! 

Ever since mid-June, I have been gathering Shower tree photos and I think the blooms have been increasing constantly. Now everywhere I turn the trees are in full glory! 

Rainbow Shower trees / along H-1 in Aiea area / July 2016

As usual as I plan and frame a blog in my mind I make many new observations and questions also come to mind. Research provides many answers and also provides some great facts. 

Here are some of my observations and questions:

Yellow-white Shower tree / Target, Salt Lake area / June 2016

1) The blooms on the yellow-white Shower tree take a hanging form. 

Yellow-white Shower tree / Target, Salt Lake area / June 2016

Golden Shower tree / Pearl City / July 2016

2) The Golden Shower tree seems less common. I believe some people confuse the Golden Shower tree with the Golden tree. 

The photo below of the two together is poorly taken and has bad examples of each but I couldn't resist the two together! Usually the Golden tree is generally much taller. 

Golden Shower tree and Golden tree / Aiea Elementary School / July 2016

The Golden tree flowers are singular and take the form of a generalized flower. The leaves are also long and grayish green rather than compound with many small leaflets as the Golden Shower tree has. [Discussed in: March 24, 2016 - “Spring is Sprung” - look to the trees!]

3) In how many colors do Shower trees bloom? Are there different varieties of the Rainbow Shower or yellow-white or Golden Shower tree? 

I have seen some more yellow and some more pink shades of the Rainbow Shower tree. From the little information out there, there are varieties of the Shower trees. (Source about varieties)

Rainbow Shower tree / Halawa by freeway / July 2016

Rainbow Shower tree / Kapiolani Park / July 2016

yellow-white Shower tree / Aiea / July 2016

This singular Golden Shower tree (unusually found in a neighborhood) looks like less bright of a yellow. The yellow-white Shower tree is more yellow than some.

Golden Shower tree / Salt Lake area / July 2016

4) What is their country of origin?  The Rainbow Shower is a hybrid which originates from Hawai’i. ( More information )

Rainbow Shower tree / Pearl City / July 2016 

5) Do the different varieties bloom at different times? (I knew I saw some bloom many months ago.) If you look closely at this photo, which I took in April, the flowers are basically a darker pink so I assume this is a Coral Shower tree which does bloom earlier. Notice too the pods indicating the Shower trees are in the ever present Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) family. [Discussed in: March 10, 2016  - Winter flowering plants / trees in Hawai’i]

Coral Shower tree / Moanalua area / April 2016

6) The trees are very rare in neighborhoods. Like the Golden Tree, the lack in neighborhoods is probably due to the origin of their name - the showers of petals! It is beautiful to see but most people do not want the overwhelming build up of showering petals in the yard. 

Petals falling off Shower trees / Pearl City / July 2016 

petals off a Shower tree / Pearl City / July 2016

7) Although not in yards, luckily the trees are the predominant freeway or roadway tree! Beautiful examples are found in parks also.

Rainbow Shower trees / H-1 interchange / July 2016

yellow-white Shower trees / Kapiolani Park / July 2016

Final notes about the lovely Shower trees: 

1) After research, I found that the delicate yellow-white trees are actually the Queen’s Hospital Shower tree. (Origin of the yellow-white tree) As an aside, when you take photos you never know what gets caught in the background. Look at the lovely Fairy Terns above the tree!

Queen’s Hospital Shower tree / Kapiolani Park / July 2016

2) Many different colors are found all over the island!

Rainbow Shower trees / Ko Olina/ July 2016

Rainbow Shower trees / Kapiolani Park entrance / July 2016

Queen’s Hospital Shower tree / Haleiwa / July 2016

When I started taking photos, and after recently visiting Washington DC, I thought Hawai’i should promote a Shower tree Blooming Festival! Although I have never been to see the Flowering Cherry trees blossoming I think our Shower trees certainly must be as beautiful.