Input from various friends pinpoints Pearl's yellow tree as the:
Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula)
This is the national tree of Thailand, for the flowers are the same color as the Thai Royalty yellow and of Buddhism. As the trees all bloom at the same time, this unity also reflects the Thai culture. It is known there as dok khuen, ratchaphruek, Khun and Chaiyaphruek. I board a plane tomorrow for Bangkok to look into how to obtain seedlings. Really.
The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek flower festival was held from 1November06 to 31January07 in Chiang Mai, hosted by King Bhumibol on his 80th birthday. As I will also return to this city next year (as part of a Tauck tour), I'll want to check with my friend, Norkun Sitthiphong, former mechanical engineering professor at Chiang Mai University, youngest dean of engineering ever in the country, then, deputy minister of energy and now president/CEO of a major energy company. Perhaps he can advise me on how best to bring these trees to Hawaii, although I suspect the more difficult part will be American importation hurdles.
In Thailand, this plant is known as a disease killer, for millennia of herbal practice have identified various medical applications. Very little has recently surfaced regarding actual medical validity, however. The wood is strong and durable.
The Golden Shower is also the state flower of Kerala, India. In Japan it is called nanban saikachi. You see this tree on various stamps and national emblems.
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Typhoon Choi-wan is now at 75 MPH and heading away from Japan, as all models predicted. The two disturbances in the East Pacific do not appear to be any threat.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina have joined this blog site, so I'm now up to 104 countries:
5207-104-215
Aloha.
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