Plant in full sun in a fairly well-drained soil and give occasional to little irrigation. Hardy to about 25 degrees F and tolerant to short duration freezes a bit lower. This is the most common of the Cassias in southern California. It can be a little fussy in heavy soils that are over irrigated but in general it has been a very reliable tree in Southern California landscapes.

Cassia leptophylla comes from southeastern Brazil. Though many of the plants previously known as Cassia are now in the genus Senna, this species is still in the genus Cassia - for a list of those plants now longer in the genus Cassia that that we have grown, see our listing of Senna. The name Cassia is from the ancient Greek 'Kassia', a name for the biblical kassian plants that provided senna leaves and pods for medicinal use. The specific epithet is from the Greek words 'leptos' meaning "thin", "slender", "delicate" or "narrow" and 'phyllon' meaning "leaf" in reference to the narrow leaflets of this species.

We have grown this outstanding tree since 1980. It was first planted in the Los Angeles County Arboretum in 1958 and has become increasingly popular over time. There is a beautiful specimen that blooms in late July through August along San Marcos Road as one approaches our nursey. 

The information about Cassia leptophylla displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.