Koelreuteria elegans

ENH 101 Ting Ting So zCommon name: flame gold zFamily: Sapindaceae zGroup: Dicot zDuration: Perennial

Flamegold blooms later than Chinese flame tree and Goldenrain tree in this genus and some say it has a more elegant appearance. The leaflets have noticeably oblique bases and are distinctly asymmetrical, with the narrow side of each leaflet being closer to central rachis. The fruit are snowy well into winter. Forms: z Habitat: tree z Height: 25 to 50 feet z Spread: 35 to 50 feet z Crown uniformity: irregular z Crown shape: round z Crown density: open z Growth rate: fast z Texture: coarse Foliage: z Leaf arrangement: alternate z Leaf type: bipinnately compound; 4-6 pairs of secondary rachises, each with 14-18 leaflets z Leaf margin: entire or serrate z Leaf shape: ovate, oblong z Leaf venation: pinnate z Leaf type and persistence: deciduous z Leaf blade length: 2 to 4 inches z Leaf color: green z Fall color: yellow z Fall characteristic: not showy

Flower: zSexuality: synoecious zSingle/infl: terminal panicles zSeason: fall zFlower color: yellow zFlower characteristics: very showy zMisc: 5 petals Fruit: z Type: papery capsules z Season: late fall, winter z Fruit shape: oval, elongated z Fruit length: 1 to 3 inches z Fruit covering: dry or hard z Fruit color: pink, dry to brown z Fruit characteristics: does not attract wildlife; showy; fruit/leaves not a litter problem

Trunk and Branches z Trunk/bark/branches: branches droop; not showy; typically one trunk; thorns z Pruning requirement: needed to be trained when young to develop stable and strong branch structure z Breakage: susceptible to breakage z Current year twig color: brown z Current year twig thickness: very thick Culture z Light requirement: full sun z Soil tolerances: clay; sand; loam; alkaline; acidic; extended flooding; well-drained; moderate watering z Tolerance: air pollution, heat, drought, alkaline soil pH z Native: Taiwan, Fiji z Hardiness: USDA 9B-11 Use and Management: z Trees need to be trained when young to develop a strong branch structure. z Properly pruned and trained trees can be planted as street or parking lot trees, but do not commit large areas to this tree due to the possibility of them breaking up as they reach about 30 years old. They will be the source of many compliments when they are in flower and fruit. z Use as reclamation plant; shade tree; specimen; residential street tree z Spacing main branches apart along a central trunk is crucial to developing a durable tree. As soon as you see them, remove any double or multiple trunks which develop, especially if they have embedded or pinched bark in the branch crotch Pests and Diseases z Scale, mushroom root rot on wet soil or on old trees. z A canker causes dead and sunken areas on the bark. z Coral pink fruiting bodies develop on the diseased bark. z Prune out infected branches and fertilize to maintain tree health. z Verticillium wilt attacks Koelreuteria . The disease causes wilting and death of leaves on infected branches. Eventually the entire tree may be killed. z Fertilize to stimulate growth. z There are no chemical controls.