Golden-rain Tree Seeds (Koelreuteria paniculata)

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Monticello Catalog
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Golden-rain Tree is a fast-growing ornamental species native to China, introduced to Britain in 1763. Its fine-textured, dark green leaves are overlaid with clouds of tiny yellow blossoms in early summer, followed by prominent seed pods that rattle in the wind. Thomas Jefferson received seeds for the Golden-rain Tree in 1809 from his long-time Parisian friend, Madame de Tessé.

Like the seeds of many woody plants, Golden-rain Tree seeds need to be sown and exposed to cold temperatures before they will germinate. It is simplest to sow the seed in autumn, either in the ground or in a pot left outdoors through the winter. Seedlings will appear in the spring. The tree grows best in sunny, well-drained sites, reaching thirty to forty feet high. USDA Zones 6-9.

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