Rain Tree (samanea saman)

Samanea saman is a species of flowering legume or of the pea family. It is native to Central and South America originating from Southern Mexico to Brazil, but it has been widely introduced to South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii. Common names include Rain Tree and Monkey Pod. Saman is a wide-canopied tree with a huge crown and can reach a height of 100 feet and a diameter of 20 feet. The leaves fold in rainy weather and in the evening, hence the name Rain Tree and 5 o'clock Tree (Pukul Lima) in Malay. Several subspecies of this tree are available e.g. with reddish pink and creamish golden colored flowers. Because of its widespread occurrence, several synonyms are available eg. Albizzia saman, mimosa pubifera, and inga salutaris amongst others. Its taxonomy is straightforward enough though. In the past its uses mainly as a shade tree along trunk roads but later on it was not practical as its humongous roots nearly always disrupt free flowing traffic.