Alright, let’s talk about this Chinese Flame Tree, or whatever them fancy folks call it – Koelreuteria bipinnata. Sounds like a mouthful, don’t it? I just call it a pretty tree, myself.
Now, this here tree, it’s somethin’ special. They say it’s good for makin’ yer yard look nice. And I reckon they ain’t wrong. Comes summertime, and it bursts out with these bright yeller flowers. Not just any yeller, mind you, but a real eye-catchin’ yeller. Like sunshine, but on a tree. Folks ’round here, they ain’t got many trees with yeller flowers, so this one, it stands out.
- It gets pretty tall, too. Forty, maybe even sixty feet, they say. That’s taller than my old barn, I tell ya.
- And it spreads out wide, like it’s tryin’ to give ya a big ol’ hug. Good for shade, it is. On a hot day, you can sit under it and cool off.
I heard tell that back where this tree comes from, they plant it near where they bury folks. Special folks, I guess. And they use the flowers for makin’ medicine and for dyin’ things yeller. Them seeds, they’re hard and black, and they use ’em for beads. Fancy beads, for church and such.
Where d’ya plant it? Well, like I said, it’s good for makin’ a place look nice. You could plant it by the road, or in a parkin’ lot. Heck, you could plant it in yer yard, if ya got the space. It’s a good shade tree, too. So, if you want a place to sit and cool off, this tree’s yer fella.
Now, there’s another tree that looks kinda like it, called Golden Raintree. But this Flame Tree, it’s different. It grows straighter, and the leaves, they’re all fancy and split up. The Golden Raintree, it ain’t like that. And the leaves on this Flame Tree, they stay on real late in the fall, then they turn this… well, this kinda blah gold color before they fall off. Nothin’ to write home about, that part.
This tree, it likes places where it don’t get too cold. Down south, mostly. I ain’t seen too many up north, that’s for sure. But if you live in a warm place, and you want a pretty tree that’ll give ya some shade, well, this here Chinese Flame Tree might just be the ticket. It ain’t fussy, and it grows pretty quick. Just give it some water and sunshine, and it’ll do its thing.
And them flowers, they’re somethin’ else. Bright yeller, like I said, and they come in big bunches. Makes the whole tree look like it’s on fire, but in a good way, ya know? Not a burn-yer-house-down fire, but a pretty, look-at-me fire. And the bees, they love it. You’ll see ‘em buzzin’ around all day long, happy as can be.
So, there ya have it. That’s the lowdown on the Chinese Flame Tree, from someone who knows a thing or two about trees. It ain’t rocket science, plantin’ a tree. Just dig a hole, stick it in the ground, and watch it grow. And this one, it’ll grow real nice for ya, I reckon.
It ain’t just a pretty face, though. Like I said, them folks overseas, they use it for all sorts of things. Medicine, dye, beads… Makes ya think, don’t it? Somethin’ so pretty can be useful, too. That’s the way things oughta be, I always say. Pretty and useful. That’s a win-win in my book.
So if you’re lookin’ for a tree that’s both purty and useful, give this Chinese Flame Tree a try. You won’t be disappointed, I reckon. It’s a good ‘un, that’s for sure.
One more thing, they say the seeds, well you can make necklaces out of them. Now, I ain’t much for jewelry myself, but I reckon some folks might like that. Little black beads, strung together. Pretty, I guess, in a simple kinda way.
Anyways, that’s all I got to say about this here tree. Go plant one, if you want. Or don’t. It ain’t gonna hurt my feelin’s none. But I tell ya, it’s a good tree. A real good tree.
Tags: [Chinese Flame Tree, Koelreuteria bipinnata, yellow flowering tree, landscape tree, shade tree, ornamental tree, deciduous tree, garden tree, specimen tree]
