Cassia leptophylla
Gold Medallion Tree
Description
Gold Medallion Tree (Cassia leptophylla) is a small, evergreen tree that is native to subtropical areas of Brazil. It only reaches about 15-25' tall and 30’ wide, so it is a great choice for residential gardens. Unusually cold weather may cause leaves to drop, but it does recover quickly. It performs best in the summer heat. Maintenance on this tree can often be handled by a homeowner because the tree rarely gets too large to manage. Cross branching should be removed, and the canopy should be thinned out a little in the winter to allow sunlight to enter the interior. The yellow clusters of flowers on this tree are spectacular, and the extra sunlight in the interior should encourage a bigger bloom. The tree will benefit from some all-purpose fertilizer in the spring to encourage new foliage growth, deeper green leaves, and more blooms. This tree can thrive in most soils and under many irrigation conditions. It should be planted at least three feet away from any hardscape areas and 10 feet from structures such as houses and buildings. Shrubs and perennials should be planted about two feet away from this tree. It should be irrigated for about 45 minutes once a week when using most in-line drip irrigation systems.