The first rainbow shower tree was a chance seedling from a hybrid growing on Lunalilo Street in the 1920s. It was cultivated in the yard of Miss Wilhelmina Tenny, and is now commonly known by her name. The Tenny Rainbow Shower grows rapidly and flowers profusely. The colors are basically red, yellow and white, but in bright sunlight the overall appearance of the tree in bloom is pink and orange. It grows best in the drier, warmer areas of Oahu.
Plants are available at most nurseries, but think big.
A 12-year old tree at Foster Botanic Garden is now 50 feet tall. And while they are gorgeous, all those glorious flowers eventually fall off, providing a brilliant carpet of petals. Aesthetically, it's great, but it also creates a mess and is dangerously slippery to walk on. This may be why most shower trees grow on public property where crews like Wallace's will rake up the fallen blossoms. Please be sure to include a phone number.