Pride of India - Koelreuteria paniculata
English name:
Pride of India
Scientific name:
Koelreuteria paniculata
Family:
Sapindaceae (Soapberry family)
Height:
About 5 M
Flowering:
early August
Range:
Kina & Korea (naturalized in Japan)
The plant in the photograph is located by the main office building in square 1016, position 1017.
Plant description:
The Family Sapindaceae occurs naturally in the tropic and war-temperate zones. The genus Koelreuteria contains 3 species.
A tree up to between 10 and 15 meters in height where it grows naturally. A 100 year-old tree in Copenhagen University’s Botanical Garden was 8 meters tall and equally as wide when it was felled a few years ago.
The irregular compound leaves are opposite and up to 35 cm long.
The short-stalked yellow flowers sit in large, terminal, panicles up to 35 cm and flower in August. The fruit is a 4-5 cm long, air-filled, three sided, egg shaped, papery bladder with 3 seeds. The seeds mature in September to October.
In Beijing the Pride of India can be seen as a street tree in the block south of the Danish Embassy. It is used as a street tree in central Europe.
Jonas Roulund, - last update:5 October 2010