Cassia surattensis, commonly known as Yellow Cassia or Senna, is a shrub or small tree belonging to the Rosales order, Fabaceae family, Cassia genus. It is a relatively common species of tree.
Yellow Cassia can grow up to 5-7 meters in height. The bark is smooth and gray-brown. The leaves are elliptical or ovate, arranged in 7-9 pairs.
The flowers are arranged in racemes, appearing in the leaf axils of the upper branches. The petals range in color from bright yellow to deep yellow, and are ovate to inverted ovate in shape.
The flowering period is almost year-round. Yellow Cassia has an elegant appearance with bright yellow flowers, making it a beautiful ornamental tree. It has a relatively long flowering period and is suitable for cultivation as a hedge or roadside tree.
Yellow Cassia: A shrub or small tree, reaching a height of 5-7 meters. It has multiple branches and the twigs have ribbed ridges. The bark is smooth and gray-brown.
The leaves are arranged in 7-9 pairs, elongated elliptical or ovate in shape, with a powdery white underside and sparse, close-fitting long soft hairs, with entire margins.
The flowers are arranged in racemes in the leaf axils of the upper branches. The bracts are ovate and elongated, with a slight covering of soft hairs. The sepals are ovate in shape and vary in size.
The petals range in color from bright yellow to deep yellow, and are 1.5-2 centimeters long, ovate to inverted ovate in shape. There are 10 fertile stamens.
The fruit is flat and strap-shaped, splitting open to reveal 10-12 glossy seeds. The flowering and fruiting period occurs throughout the year.
Yellow Cassia is native to India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and Polynesia. It is cultivated worldwide.
Yellow Cassia grows at altitudes of 750-1500 meters, such as village edges, roadsides, or parks. It does not have strict soil requirements, but sandy loam soil is preferred. It is tolerant of both dry and wet soil conditions.
It prefers sunlight and deep, well-drained soil, and grows quickly. Propagation and cultivation are relatively easy. It prefers high temperatures, high humidity, and abundant sunlight, but is not tolerant of cold temperatures.
It can withstand temperatures as low as 2-5 degrees Celsius and can overwinter in normal years in southern and northern China. It prefers fertile soil.
It is found in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and Polynesia. It has been widely cultivated in various tropical regions.
Yellow Cassia is a shrub or small tree, reaching a height of 5-7 meters. It has many branches and the twigs have ribbed ridges. The bark is smooth and gray-brown. The young branches, leaf axis, and petioles are covered with fine hairs.
The leaves are 10-15 centimeters long. The leaf axis and petiole are flattened and square-shaped, with 2-3 glandular bodies between the lower 2 or 3 pairs of leaflets and the upper part of the petiole.
There are 7-9 pairs of leaflets, which are elongated elliptical or ovate in shape, measuring 2-5 centimeters in length and 1-1.5 centimeters in width. The undersides of the leaflets are powdery white and covered with scattered, close-fitting long soft hairs.
The leaflet margins are entire. The leaflet petioles are 1-1.5 millimeters long and covered with soft hairs. The stipules are linear, curved, and about 1 centimeter long, falling off early.
The flowers are arranged in racemes in the leaf axils of the upper branches. The bracts are ovate-elongate in shape, covered with fine hairs, and measure 5-8 millimeters in length.
The sepals are ovate in shape, unequal in size, with the inner ones measuring 6-8 millimeters in length and the outer ones measuring 3-4 millimeters in length. The sepals have 3-5 veins.
The petals are bright yellow to deep yellow, ovate to inverted ovate in shape, and measure 1.5-2 centimeters in length.
There are 10 fertile stamens, with the lower 2 having longer filaments. The anthers are elongated oval-shaped and split on the sides. The ovary is linear and covered with hairs.
The fruit is flat, elongated, and splits open. It measures 7-10 centimeters in length and 8-12 millimeters in width, with a slender beak at the top and a distinct fruit neck.
The fruit stalk is evident. There are 10-12 glossy seeds. The flowering and fruiting period occurs throughout the year in tropical regions.
Yellow Cassia does not have high soil requirements and can grow well in moderately fertile low hillsides, roadside areas, and urban green belts.
Yellow Cassia thrives in temperatures ranging from 15 to 30 degrees Celsius. It can tolerate short periods of temperatures as low as -2 degrees Celsius, and frost generally does not cause significant harm.
However, it is sensitive to cold winds, so it should be protected from strong winds during winter.
Yellow Cassia is considered a neutral plant, slightly favoring sunlight. Young plants prefer more shade, while mature plants have a higher demand for sunlight. Therefore, it should not be kept in excessively shady areas for extended periods.
Yellow Cassia does not require excessive watering and has excellent drought tolerance. Therefore, watering should be moderate. When selecting a planting location, avoid low-lying areas to prevent waterlogging during rainfall.
Yellow Cassia requires minimal fertilization. Generally, the soil should contain sufficient nutrients. Fertilization once or twice during the entire growth period is sufficient.
Seeding can be done in both spring and summer. The fruits ripen throughout the year, with the fruit pods turning from yellow-green to yellow-brown or gray-brown when mature.
The mature fruits do not fall off or split open and can be harvested year-round, but the seeds are fullest and have a higher germination rate from September to November.
The seeds are black-brown or yellow-brown in color and glossy. The weight of a thousand seeds is 179 grams, and the germination rate is 40%-60%. The seeds can be stored in dry conditions.
Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water at a temperature of 40-50 degrees Celsius, and then soak them for 12 hours after cooling.
The soil should be finely prepared for sowing, using row sowing method with a spacing of 25 centimeters, and covering the seeds with 1 centimeter of soil.
If sown in early March, germination usually begins around 10 days after sowing and takes about 20 days for full germination. Transplanting should be done before the pinnate leaves fully expand.
Within 1-6 months of seedling growth, it is recommended to apply diluted urea fertilizer once a month. A one-year-old seedling can reach a height of 70 centimeters and a trunk diameter of 0.7 centimeters.
For urban greening, it is necessary to cultivate the seedlings for 2 years after transplantation to produce larger seedlings.
Spring sowing, The seed coat of Yellow Cassia has a tightly packed layer of cells, which hinders water absorption. Before sowing, soak the seeds in water at a temperature of 85-90 degrees Celsius for 24 hours, and then treat the hard grains 1-2 times.
The seeds will expand after water absorption and can be sown. Row sowing with a spacing of 20-25 centimeters and a seed covering thickness of 1.5-2 centimeters is recommended.
The sowing rate per acre is 8-10 kilograms. Seedlings usually emerge within 7-10 days. During the seedling stage, it is advisable to plant them densely to prevent bending of the trunk.
Generally, leave 6-8 seedlings per meter. One-year-old seedlings can reach a height of over 1 meter. Alternatively, early spring seedlings can be raised in nutrition bowls and then transplanted.
Yellow Cassia has strong sprouting ability. If cultivating larger seedlings with a good trunk shape, the main stem can be cut in early spring of the second year to increase the spacing between plants.
By the end of the same year, the seedlings can reach a height of 3-4 meters, with straight and robust trunks.
In late winter or early spring, before the leaf buds of Yellow Cassia start to sprout, cut the branches into segments of about 20 centimeters for propagation by cuttings. After cutting, provide shade and keep the soil moist.
After about 2 months, the cuttings will have rooted and become established. At this point, they can be potted continuously. After potting, place them in a cool place for 1-2 weeks, and then gradually move them to a sunny location.
The subsequent care and management of potted Yellow Cassia cuttings are the same as those for the trunk-cutting method.
However, cuttings propagated in pots have slower growth compared to trunk-cuttings, thus resulting in a delayed flowering period by approximately one month, with flowering occurring in early November.
In late winter or early spring, take segments of thick and robust Yellow Cassia roots, about 15 centimeters in length, for propagation by root insertion.
No shading is needed, but the soil should be kept moist. After about one month, the roots will have established and can be potted. The survival rate can reach up to 90%.
The root insertion method not only effectively utilizes and increases the propagation material but also allows for the creation of Yellow Cassia bonsai based on different root forms, significantly enhancing the ornamental value of Yellow Cassia as a potted plant.
Using Yellow Cassia roots as cuttings results in higher and faster survival rates and growth compared to branch cuttings.
Medicinal Value
Source: The leaves and seeds of Yellow Cassia, a leguminous plant in the Fabaceae family.
Effect: Laxative and purgative.
Main Uses: Treats intestinal dryness and constipation.
Nature and Meridians: Sweet, bitter, cold. Large Intestine Meridian.
Greening Function
Yellow Cassia, as a green plant, has the ability to purify the air and reduce noise. In addition, the beautiful flowers can be used to embellish courtyards, making our lives more beautiful.
Ornamental Value
Yellow Cassia has an elegant form and its tree is adorned with yellow flowers, making it an excellent roadside tree and a solitary tree species.
The well-rounded crown, lush branches and leaves, long flowering period, and brilliant golden-yellow flowers make it a popular choice for tropical landscapes.
It has become one of the common roadside and garden trees in southern China. It is best paired with red flowers and green leaves to create important background plants in gardens.
However, it may be affected by wind damage, causing the trunk to tilt or break, which can impact the landscape effect. Therefore, it should be planted in a sheltered location.
With its beautiful and vibrant flowers, Yellow Cassia can bloom almost year-round, making it an excellent woody flower. It is suitable for planting in gardens, green spaces, and as roadside trees.
It is commonly used for greening along roadsides, near ponds, or as hedging and ornamental plants in gardens.
Flower Language of Yellow Cassia
The flower language of Yellow Cassia symbolizes kindness and gives a feeling of tranquility. It represents friendliness. Yellow Cassia is a small tree belonging to the Cassia genus in the Rosales order, Fabaceae family.
Its flowers are bright yellow, and it can bloom throughout the year. Yellow Cassia has high ornamental value, and its leaves also have a cooling and detoxifying effect and can moisten the lungs.
Peggie was once a high school mathematics teacher, but she set aside her chalkboard and textbooks to follow her lifelong passion for flowers. After years of dedication and learning, she not only established a thriving flower shop but also founded this blog, “Flowers Library”. If you have any questions or wish to learn more about flowers, feel free to contact Peggie.
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