Nature Field Guide
Pink Shower Tree
- Spanish name
- Carao
- Scientific name
- Cassia grandis
What Do Pico & Tati Think?
Pico wants to sketch the tree’s silhouette. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?
Species overview
About the Pink Shower Tree
Carao has pink flower clusters and unusually long, thick brown seed pods. Its compound leaves contain many oval leaflets. This native tree offers a good exercise in comparing flowers, leaf arrangement and fruit shape.
Identification
Key Features of the Pink Shower Tree
Pink flower clusters
Long thick dark pods
Many paired oval leaflets
Habitat & range
Seasonal woodland and open planted landscapes.
Local observations
ACG records Guanacaste; museum specimens document Carara and La Cangreja on the Central Pacific slope. Tags reflect documented regional connections and are not an exhaustive distribution map.
When to observe
Visit in daylight and compare leaves, flowers and fruits. Flowering and fruiting vary by place, weather and individual plant; a plant may not be in bloom during your visit.
Conservation & care
Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.
Observation activity
Draw one leaf and one other feature without picking anything. Compare your sketch with the illustration and record whether you saw flowers, fruits or neither.