The large, simple leaves hold on until February and then turn red and drop off. The tree may remain bare for a month or so before new leaves emerge. A close relative is the regular crape myrtle, which is found in much of the South. A single or multistemmed small tree, it is bare for several months in winter. Large panicles in red, purple, pink, mauve or white occur in the summer.
Cassias add beauty to the summer landscape with their big clusters of yellow or pink flowers.
Cassia fistula , also known as golden shower, is remarkable for the long wisteria-like, drooping bunches of pale to golden yellow blooms, which can reach a foot or more in length. The yellow blooms are fragrant in the morning and can be seen in May and June. Golden shower can reach 30 feet high and sometimes shows chlorosis in the foliage in alkaline conditions. This cassia is an upright grower and can be useful in a narrow space. The pink shower is a wide-spreading tree with a drooping crown like a poinciana.