Hello, I am Rain Tree

I am native to Central and South American countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and Brazil.  From there, I was initially brought to Sri Lanka.  Interestingly, it was my high value as a railway fuel that led to my popularity and spreading far and wide. I then got widely introduced to South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii.

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There are many legends around my name - Rain Tree:

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In Indonesia and Malaysia, the drooping of my leaves is thought to signal the arrival of rain. In India, the name originates from my peculiar habit of intermittently releasing moisture onto the ground beneath me.  However, it was later discovered that this phenomenon is caused by numerous tiny insects called cicadas.  These sap-sucking insects often create a steady drizzle of sticky discharge, that falls down like rain drops.

 

My leaflets are light-sensitive and huddle close together on cloudy days (as well as from dusk to dawn – hence, my other curious name – five o’clock tree).  When the clouds bring rains, my leaves fold up on these rainy days, allowing rain to fall through the canopy to the ground below.  For this reason, the grass is often much greener under me than the surrounding grass.  Talk about grass being greener on the other-side!

 

Then there is the nectaries on my leaf petioles (stalk that connects the leaf to the stem) that shower sugary secretions that sometimes falls down like rain.  During heavy flowering, I also shed my stamens down like rain.

 

Anyhooo, any way you look at it, I have a lot raining down!

 

Throughout Latin America I’m known as saman tree. 

  

The original name, saman derives from zamang from the Cariban (indigenous) languages of northern Venezuela.  The word refers to ‘Mimosoideae’ tree (the sub-family to which us Rain Trees belong).  This name (zamang ---> saman) is also where my genus (scientific) name Samanea comes from.

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In Hawaii I am known as monkey pod tree.  Other names include:  giant thibet, cow tamarind, East Indian walnut and five o’clock tree.  In Sanskrit I am known as shiriisha. Names in Hindi include:  गुलाबी/विलायती शिरीष  (rose/foreign shirish).

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In English-speaking areas of the Caribbean, I am commonly referred to as coco tamarind; French tamarind in Guyana.  In Cambodia, I am colloquially known as the Chankiri Tree.

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I am frequently planted in groups or as an avenue tree as I am good at maintaining my symmetrical shape even in windy conditions. I grow very rapidly (about 3 to 5 feet a year).  My fruit is a fleshy pod that is sweet, nutritious, and enjoyed by squirrels, horses, and cattle.  I am often inter-planted as a shade tree with coffee, cacao, and other crop.

 

I have medicinal properties:  a decoction made from my inner bark and fresh leaves can be used to treat diarrhoea, stomach aches, skin issues, and more. Chewing my seeds can provide relief for sore throats. Additionally, my edible fruit pulp can be used to create a beverage that has a lemon-like flavor. I also produce a gum that can serve as an adhesive or a substitute for gum Arabic (used extensively in food, candy, cosmetic and pharma industries).

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I also act as host and allow lac insects (Kerria lacca) infestation. The large quantity of sap produced by these insects is a hardened substance that is later processed into lac or shellac, commonly used in the production of lacquerware and wood finishes.

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My wood is suitable for carving, making furniture, and creating interior trim, crafts, boxes, veneer, plywood, and general construction. Additionally, dried rain tree pods can be converted into biofuels. My wood is soft yet strong and resistant to shrinkage, making it an excellent source of firewood.

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Carbon sequestration:  Carbon sequestration is the capture and long-term removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  As a mature rain tree with about 50 feet crown, I can absorb 28 metric tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide) annually according to a research conducted at the School of Forestry of the Bogor Agricultural Institute, Indonesia.  For reference, 1 metric ton of CO2 is emitted for 3 airplane trips between Goa and Delhi or driving a petrol car for 8000 kms (roughly from Srinagar to Colombo and back).