Peela Gulmohar / The Copper Pod
Peltophorum pterocarpum
Also known as Copper Pod Tree, Golden Flamboyante, Rusty Shield Bearer, Yellow Gold Mohur, Yellow Flame Tree, Yellow Poinciana
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat & more
- Flowering
- March-December
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Peltophorum pterocarpum
- Genus
- Peltophorum
- Family
- Caesalpiniaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines to N. Australia, Malay peninsula and Archipelago
- Found in India
- Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Kerala, Rajasthan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Puducherry, Tripura, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- March-December
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Bipinnately compoundrecordedThe leaf is divided twice — each 'leaflet' is itself a row of smaller leaflets, giving a fine, fern-like look.“The leaves are bipinnate, 30–60 cm long, with 16–20 pinnae, each pinna with 20–40 oval leaflets 8–25 mm long and 4–10 mm broad.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Peela Gulmohar itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
- Flower arrangement
- RacemerecordedIndividual stalked flowers arranged along a central stem, opening from bottom to top.“The flowers are yellow, 2.5–4 cm in diameter and produced in large compound raceme up to 20 cm long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- LegumerecordedA dry pod that splits open along two seams (typical of the pea/bean family).“The fruit is a pod 5–10 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, red at first, ripening black, and containing one to four seeds.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Peela Gulmohar itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- पीला गुलमोहर Peela gulmohar, কনকচূড়া
- Bengali
- কনকচূড়া
- Tamil
- பெருங்கொன்றை Perung Kondrai, Ivalvagai, Iyalvakai
- Kannada
- Bettada huli, Bettada hunise
- Malayalam
- ചരക്കൊന്ന, Peltophorum pterocarpum
- Marathi
- ताम्रवृक्ष
- Gujarati
- તામ્રશિંગી, સોનમોહર
Peela Gulmohar in India
This flowering tree, known as पीला गुलमोहर Peela gulmohar (Hindi), பெருங்கொன்றை Perung Kondrai (Tamil), Bettada huli (Kannada), ചരക്കൊന്ന (Malayalam), ताम्रवृक्ष (Marathi), কনকচূড়া (Bengali), is a common avenue and shade tree valued for its bright yellow blossom. Peltophorum pterocarpum is grown across Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, especially as a roadside and park tree.
Uses
It's planted almost entirely as an ornamental shade and avenue tree, valued for its dense canopy and seasonal flush of bright yellow flowers.
How to Identify Peela Gulmohar
A medium to large tree with fine, fern-like bipinnate leaves. Clusters of crinkled, bright yellow flowers with a faint fragrance appear at the branch tips in season, followed by flat, coppery-red winged pods that give the tree its 'copper pod' name.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is The Copper Pod called in different Indian languages?
- पीला गुलमोहर Peela gulmohar (Hindi); பெருங்கொன்றை Perung Kondrai (Tamil); Bettada huli (Kannada); ചരക്കൊന്ന (Malayalam); ताम्रवृक्ष (Marathi); কনকচূড়া (Bengali); તામ્રશિંગી (Gujarati).
- Is this the same tree as Gulmohar?
- No — true Gulmohar (Delonix regia) has red-orange flowers, while this tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum) has bright yellow flowers, giving it the common name 'yellow gulmohar' despite being a different genus.
- Why is it also called 'copper pod'?
- Its flat seed pods ripen to a coppery reddish-brown colour, giving the tree its other common English name.
Caesalpiniaceae
Senna family
Peela Gulmohar belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Caesalpiniaceae
View all Caesalpiniaceae →Sources: GBIF — Peltophorum pterocarpum (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Peltophorum pterocarpum (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)