A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Cluster of red balloons...

I saw the most beautiful tree at the park. Leaves kind of similar to black walnut leaves, and it had these clusters of reddish balloon-looking thingies, and tons of tiny yellow flowers. In Southern California. Sorry I don't have photos, I see everyone else does, but hubby broke the digital camera. (Grrr...)

Really wish you had a picture for us???!!!

Kinda sorta sounds like a sumac/????
Not sure if they are in CA..

Weezie

Hey, maybe Papito or Arctostaphylos might know,
they're both from Calif and maybe have a better idea than me????

Weezie

Well my guess would be Schinus molle (California pepper tree) which is not native to California but native to the Peruvian Andes (the etrnal joy of common names). Good luck.

I looked up that pepper tree, and though I'm not sure, I don't think that's it. Gonna try to schlepp the video camera over to the park tomorrow and get a still photo on that.

My parents used to have red pepper trees and I have a neighbors now that is draping my yard....yes there are balloon buds but the flowers are definitely not yellow....
Just a guess how about crepe myrtle?????

OKay, I had to make a page at angelfire to show these photos because I don't know how to put pictures in here. But I THINK if you click on this link, it will take you there. The pictures are big, so it might take a while to view them.

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/geegeeburr/gardenersforum.html

Go get registered at Image Shack - I've been using that one lately and it's pretty reliable so far.

http://www.imageshack.us/

You don't have to make a web page - just upload your pictures then copy paste the code and use that.

Not sure,
maybe, leaves are a bit different...........???? ROBINA HISPIDA or PINK LOCUST

Weezie

How tall would you say the tree is????

Paulownia tomentosa - Empress Tree

Weezie

When you posted the picture I knew I had seen it before(and have some seeds from)...just couldn't remember what it was called. Pulled out my handy "Taylors Master guide to Gardening"(GREAT book, by the way, for identification).

Here it is...

Rain Tree

Karen

G~Mom,
I never knew the Rain tree had pink flowers,
I always have only seen it with the "Yellow"
stuff...
Thanks for the picture!!!

Weezie

Thanks, guys!

When I saw that tree, I KNEW I had seen it before, not in California, but in Indiana where I'm from. I recognized the balloons, but I had never known what it was called. Now that you've given me the name, I feel really goofy, because when I was a girl scout for several years, I'm pretty sure our Girl Scout Council was called the Golden Raintree Council. Probably should have known what it looked like. Dud.

But it sure is beautiful, isn't it?

Just for clarity the tree in question is Koelreuteria bipinnatata not K. paniculata. In our area we only see Koelreuteria paniculata, a very nice small tree.