Pride of India - Koelreuteria paniculata

English name:
Pride of India 

Scientific name:
Koelreuteria paniculata 

Family:
Sapindaceae (Soapberry family) 

Height:
About 5 M 

Flowering:
early August 

Range:
Kina & Korea  (naturalized  in Japan) 

Koelreuteria paniculata Koelreuteria paniculata


The plant in the photograph is located by the main office building in square 1016, position 1017.

Plant description: 
The Family Sapindaceae occurs naturally in the tropic and war-temperate zones.  The genus Koelreuteria contains 3 species.

A tree up to between 10 and 15 meters in height where it grows naturally. A 100 year-old tree in Copenhagen Universitys Botanical Garden was 8 meters tall and equally as wide when it was felled a few years ago. 

The irregular compound leaves are opposite and up to 35 cm long. 
The short-stalked yellow flowers sit in large, terminal, panicles up to 35 cm and flower in August. The fruit is a 4-5 cm long, air-filled, three sided, egg shaped, papery bladder with 3 seeds.  The seeds mature in September to October.

In Beijing the Pride of India can be seen as a street tree in the block south of the Danish Embassy. It is used as a street tree in central Europe.