Tipuana tipu

Tipuana offers generous shade with its broad, spreading canopy and fine, feathery foliage. In late spring and early summer it bursts into bright yellow blossom that adds warmth and seasonal drama to the garden.

Tipuana tipu is a fast-growing South American legume tree (Fabaceae family) widely planted in Mediterranean cities for its broad rounded canopy and bright golden-yellow pea-shaped flowers in late spring through early summer — typically May to July. The flowers are followed by distinctive winged seed pods that helicopter to the ground in autumn. The bipinnate compound leaves provide light dappled shade through summer; the tree is briefly deciduous in late autumn, dropping all leaves over 1–2 weeks. Hardy to -3°C in established specimens, drought-tolerant once established, fast-growing and undemanding, Tipuana fixes nitrogen and improves poor soils — qualities valued in urban tree planting.

Tipuana tipu reaches 10–18 m tall and as wide with a broad spreading canopy ideal for shading large terraces, courtyards, parking areas and boulevards. Use as a major shade tree in spacious gardens, as a flowering avenue tree along driveways, and as a single specimen in city squares and large lawns. The golden flower display in late spring is followed by attractive seed pods that persist into winter. Pair with the silver-grey of Olea europaea, the dark vertical lines of Cupressus sempervirens, the spreading horizontal of Jacaranda mimosifolia and the rounded canopies of Schinus molle. Avoid planting near buildings or paved areas — the surface roots are aggressive, and the abundant seed pods create maintenance work.