Pink shower (Cassia × nealiae 'Queen's Hospital White')
Pink shower, Cassia × nealiae 'Queen's Hospital White', is a sterile hybrid tree offering showy yellow aging to white blooms, ideal for warm climates.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
The Pink shower, scientifically known as Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’, is a spectacular hybrid tree valued for its abundant, lightly-scented flowers that transition from yellow to white. As a cross between Cassia Fistula and Cassia Javanica, this tree offers superior flowering and a cleaner profile thanks to its sterile nature. Gardeners prize Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ for providing significant summer color in tropical and subtropical landscapes.
This handsome tree reaches impressive heights, typically between 30 and 50 feet, making it an excellent choice for providing high canopy shade. It requires full sun exposure and medium water to thrive, rewarding proper care with spectacular displays between April and September. The specific form, ‘Queen’s Hospital White’, is particularly sought after for its unique bicolor flowers.
Its functional use as a street tree in places like Honolulu highlights its structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. Planting Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ ensures a season-long flowering show combined with substantial overhead cover, minimizing the seed pod nuisance associated with its parent species.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Fabaceae
- Plant Type: Tree
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 10-12
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 30-50 ft
- Spread: 20-40 ft
- Bloom Time: April to September
- Bloom Description: Yellow aging to white
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
The best time for planting the Pink shower is typically spring, allowing establishment before summer heat. Locate Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ where it receives consistent full sun. It thrives in average, well-drained soils with medium moisture.
Once established, this tree exhibits some drought tolerance, though supplemental watering during extended dry spells is beneficial. Avoid planting in areas prone to drying winds, as this can stress the foliage. While intolerant of hard frost, plants can tolerate brief light freezes down to about 25°F.
Maintenance is considered medium. Pruning should primarily focus on removing any dead or crossing branches to maintain a good structure, though its sterile nature means less deadheading is required. Because this is a sterile hybrid, propagation success relies on modern techniques like grafting or air layering to ensure genetic consistency for the ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ cultivar.
Landscape Uses
Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ excels when used as a substantial shade tree due to its generous 30 to 50-foot height. Its broad canopy makes it perfect for wide avenues, parks, or large residential yards needing overhead relief from intense sunlight.
This stunning flowering tree also earns its spot as a premier ornamental feature. Plant the Pink shower where its spring and summer blooms can be easily appreciated, such as near patios or main walkways. Its rich foliage during non-flowering periods also provides excellent background texture against brighter, lower-growing shrubs that prefer similar full sun conditions. Utilizing it as a street tree, as commonly done in Honolulu, demonstrates its robustness in urban settings.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
- Fragrant
Noteworthy Characteristics
Cassia × nealiae, commonly called rainbow shower tree, is a hybrid cross between C. Fistula (golden shower tree) and C. Javanica (pink-and-white shower tree). It is noted for producing a show-stopping bloom of lightly-scented, 5-petaled flowers in 8-12” pendant racemes from April to September, with the biggest concentrations of bloom often occurring in July-August. Advantages of this hybrid over the individual parents include sterility, resulting in better flowering, a fuller canopy, and far fewer seed pods creating clean-up issues. The specific form, ‘Queen’s Hospital White’, is noted for flowers emerging pale yellow but aging to white.
Tolerances
- Drought
Potential Problems
Generally, the Pink shower is robust, showing no serious insect or disease problems under ideal conditions. Mildew and leaf spot may occasionally appear, particularly in humid or poorly ventilated areas; ensure good air circulation around the canopy. Gardeners in borderline zones might encounter damage during brief light frost episodes, as temperatures dipping below 25°F can be harmful. Since propagation must be managed via grafting or air layering, avoid trying to grow Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ from seed, which is typically non-viable or sterile.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Pink shower suitable for?
The Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ is suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 10 through 12.
How large does the Pink shower grow?
This impressive tree typically reaches a mature height between 30 and 50 feet, with a spread ranging from 20 to 40 feet wide.
What sun exposure does Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ need?
This flowering tree requires full sun exposure to develop the best color and maintain healthy growth.
When does Pink shower bloom?
The blooming period for Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ generally spans from April through September, featuring flowers that start yellow and age to white.
Conclusion
The sterile nature, combined with the high visual impact of its lengthy bloom cycle, makes the Pink shower a superior choice for sunny, warm landscapes where large trees are needed. Planting Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ offers long-term shade and stunning floral rewards, provided you confirm zone compatibility (Zone 10+) before installing this magnificent specimen.
Companion Planting in Tropical Gardens
When selecting understory plants for Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’, focus on species that appreciate dappled shade created by its high canopy, as direct overhead sun is essential for the tree itself. Companion plants that thrive in similar tropical to subtropical conditions, such as certain varieties of bromeliads, gingers, or philodendrons, can create a lush foundation beneath the structure of the tree. Avoid overcrowding the base, ensuring that competition does not impede the medium water requirements of the mature Pink shower.
Seasonal Care Calendar
Gardeners in Zones 10-12 should focus their maintenance efforts around the transition into the flowering season. In early spring (March/April), note the slight leaf drop before the bloom commences; this is normal for the tree. Post-flowering, typically in the fall, is a good time to apply a slow-release fertilizer formulated for flowering trees, if necessary, to support next year’s production. Check young trees regularly for water needs during the summer heat, even though established Cassia × nealiae ‘Queen’s Hospital White’ possess drought tolerance.
