India GO
Rain tree in Bengaluru: the roof over Cubbon Park
Samanea saman
In Bengaluru (Bangalore) the rain tree is easiest to see in Cubbon Park, where its canopy closes over most of the walking paths, and in Lalbagh Botanical Garden. It also lines many of the city's older avenues. It is not a native tree: it comes from tropical America, and according to the India GO guide it was planted across the city under the old Mysore state's horticulture programme.
The tree that roofs Cubbon Park and most of Bengaluru's older avenues, planted across the city under the Mysore state horticulture programme. The storm losses of recent years have pushed the city's tree officers toward native species for new avenues.
Where to see it
Cubbon Park
The canopy over most of the walking paths
Lalbagh Botanical Garden
👀 How to recognise it
Feathery leaflets that fold shut at dusk and in rain - the name comes from that, and from the drip of sap-feeding insects beneath. Pink powder-puff flowers in April and May.
Under the canopy: Cubbon Park and Lalbagh
Cubbon Park is where the tree is easiest to see: its flat, umbrella-shaped crowns meet over most of the walking paths. On Saturdays people bring books and blankets for Cubbon Reads and spread out under the same trees.
Lalbagh Botanical Garden has rain trees too, among more than 1,800 species of trees and plants, many of them over a hundred years old. Here the rain tree is one giant among many, so it helps to know the silhouette: a crown that can be wider than the tree is tall, spreading up to about 30 m across.
Outside the parks, look along the older avenues of central Bengaluru. According to the guide, it roofs most of the older avenues, so once you know the shape it is easy to pick out.
When to look: dusk, rain and April to June
The tree is there all year, and Bengaluru's climate makes any month workable: the city sits on a plateau at about 900 m and stays mild, driest from November to February.
Two things are worth timing. The feathery leaflets fold together in the evening and in rainy weather, which the encyclopedia gives as the reason for the names rain tree and five o'clock tree; on an evening walk in Cubbon Park you can see the leaflets closing. And from April, into May and June, the canopy is dotted with pink powder-puff flowers, small heads of long white and red stamens.
A planted city tree, now being replaced
Nothing about the rain tree is wild here. It comes from Central and South America, and according to the India GO guide Bengaluru has it because the old Mysore state planted it across the city as part of its horticulture programme. The Kannada name is simply male mara, the rain tree; in neighbouring Tamil Nadu it is thoongu moonji maram, the sleepy-faced tree, after the folding leaves.
The guide also notes that storm losses in recent years have pushed the city's tree officers towards native species for new avenues.
Heavy rain and big branches
The encyclopedia notes that large rain tree branches tend to break off, particularly in rainstorms, a hazard for a tree planted so widely along roads. Bengaluru's heaviest showers come in September and October, with local flooding. In a storm, do not shelter or park under an old avenue tree; wait it out in a building.
More about the tree and the city
The species itself, from leaf shape to the theories behind its name, is on the rain tree page. For the other trees that colour Bengaluru's streets, start with the pink trumpet tree and the trees and flowers of Bengaluru.
❓ FAQ
Where can I see rain trees in Bangalore?
In Cubbon Park, where the canopy covers most of the walking paths, in Lalbagh Botanical Garden and along the city's older avenues.
Why is it called a rain tree?
Its leaflets fold together in the evening and in rainy weather. The encyclopedia lists other explanations too, including sugary drops from insects feeding in the crown.
When does the rain tree flower in Bangalore?
From April to June, with pink powder-puff flowers; April and May are the months the guide names for the bloom.
Is the rain tree native to Bangalore?
No. It comes from Central and South America and, according to the guide, was planted across the city under the old Mysore state's horticulture programme.
What is the rain tree called in Kannada?
Male mara (ಮಳೆ ಮರ), which means rain tree.