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Colourful Cassias
One can't talk of the flowering trees of Colombo and fail to mention the Cassias. The Cassias could be categorised into the pink and yellow Cassias. There are many varieties of pink Cassia each with its own unique beauty. Two of the pink Cassias can be found in Colombo and will be described here.
The first to bloom, during the months of March and April is the Horse Cassia or Cassia grandis. At this time the leaves fall and beautiful sprays of rose-pink flowers take their place.

These flowers spring stiffly from either side of the main stem and give a very different appearance to the soft, drooping sprays of flowers usually seen on other Cassias.

The leaves of the Horse Cassia are made up of ten to twenty oval leaflets, rounded at the ends. The young leaves have a distinct bronze tinge. The other and more common pink Cassia is the Cassia nodosa. The botanical name refers to the node or swelling in the stamens of the flowers. However, the other species of Cassia also have this characteristic and so the name can be misleading.

The Cassia nodosa is a large tree with a spreading crown. The flowers appear in large clusters and are a mix of deep pink, light pink and white. The Pink Cassia is in bloom between April and June and presents a wonderful sight at this time.

In Colombo this tree can be seen along Guildford Crescent and also on Chitra Lane. These trees can also be seen along the road to Hunas Falls.
Moving onto the yellow Cassias we have, of course, the Ehela (Cassia fistula). Another Cassia which is also in bloom at the moment is the Siamese Cassia (Cassia siamea) which too has yellow flowers. In this species the lemon yellow flowers appear in stiff, upright clusters. Interspersed with the spires of flowers you will see the red brown pods hanging down among the foliage.

This species is referred to as the Wa in Sinhala and the Vahai in Tamil. The Wa can be seen in Colombo in the grounds of the Anglican Cathedral and in Royal College at the corner of Rajakeeya Mawatha.

The Wa is not to be confused with the Rathu Wa (Cassia roxburghii) which produces salmon pink flowers between May and August. The flowers of this tree do not appear in spires unlike the Wa. The Rathu Wa is indigenous to Sri Lanka.

Compiled by Ruk Rakaganno, The Tree Society of Sri Lanka
Phone: 2554438; email: rukraks@sltnet.lk

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