Thread: Tree ID

This is just a wild guess but I'd say some sort of Elm.

Hi Ed,
Maybe a Pic of the Trunk or a larger Branch so we could see the Bark.
Yes it does look a bit like a Elm.
Do you have Pin Oaks there, as I 1st. thought it may have been that.

To me it looks like Koelreuteria paniculata (Golden Rain tree) family Sapindaceae, which is a native of eastern asia and a declared potential pest species in Australia. Does the tree have massed yellow flowers and burgundy coloured papery pods immediately after flowering?
It can be confused with the Chinese rain tree (Koelreuteria elegans) which has bipinnate (as opposed to pinnate) leaves and does not have the bright yellow flowers. The pods look very similar.

Some good guesses, guys...but this one is still giving me fits. The pods look like "Little Silverbell", but the leaves don't match.

Here's a couple of more pics close-ups of the leaves and pods, which might help.

What makes you certain it's not K. paniculata? I know it's hard to be confident without the vouchers in front of you but the leaves/fruits look very similar to the photos on here
Does the bark match the photo in the link?
I would think it would be a closely related taxa as the terminal flowers and three sided fruits are very distinctive? But I am not familiar with the closely related genera to this genus.

If it's not koelreuteria paniculata then it's gotta be another species of koelreuteria . I've got a k.paniculata growing on my nature strip so I'm pretty familiar with it. I transplanted it there from one that popped up elsewhere in the garden with the intention of cutting it down as soon as it got big enough to make an egg from for the collection. In just 5 years it's got to about 6" diameter at breast height and makes good afternoon shade when I need to park in the street - might have to get some from elsewhere for my egg collection

Originally Posted by TTIT

... - might have to get some from elsewhere for my egg collection

Maybe Ed can send you some.

Thanks, Pampelmuse...you win the gold star

It definetly is the koelreuteria paniculata (Golden Raintree). The link you provided to Wikipedia describes it to a tee!

I'm going to have to update my tree field guide. Am using a 1980 edition of the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees.

The Golden Raintree isn't even listed.

I'd get rid of the bloody thing!! As Pamplemuse said they are a declared potential pest species here. I don't understand why they haven't been declared a pest species outright!