The Garden has several collections of Koelreuteria paniculata. One, growing in the copse is flowering profusely, collected by Joseph Rock in 1926. In his notes he mentions that at 12 metres it was the tallest tree in the village of Nyiba, Gansu Province, China. Here seen growing by Rock in the drier regions of a river bank.

Other collections were made on the west coast of the Republic of Korea at sea level; Honshu Province, Japan from a group of naturalised shrubs again at sea level; Sichuan Province, China, in a south facing dry valley bottom at 2070 metres.

Covered in panicles (hence the specific epithet) of individual yellow flowers. These fall and in their place watch the seed pod develop. Initially a swollen red triangular shape, ballooning conically as it matures.

An added bonus – good autumn colour from the deciduous foliage.

Koelreuteria paniculata

Koelreuteria paniculata