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Chinese rain tree (Koelreuteria elegans subsp. formosana)

Also known as: golden rain tree, Chinese flame tree
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Chinese rain tree is a deciduous tree with yellow flowers and papery seed capsules. It competes with native plants.

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How does this weed affect you?

Chinese rain tree grows quickly and outcompetes native plants.

What does it look like?

Chinese rain trees are deciduous and usually grow 5 - 12 m tall. In ideal conditions they can grow up to 25 m tall with a 10-15 m wide canopy.

Leaves:

The leaves are very large up to 60 cm long and 44 cm wide. They are branched with each branch made up of 8 to 17 leaflets. The leaflets are: 

  • dark green above and paler green below
  • narrow with a long, tapering point
  • up to 10 cm long
  • rounded at the base
  • irregularly toothed along the edges
  • mostly hairless.

Flowers are:

  • bright yellow with red centres
  • up to 2 cm long with 4-6 petals that vary in length
  • in branched clusters up to 50 cm long
  • present in late spring to early summer.

Fruit are:

  • inflated papery capsules that split into three parts with 2 seeds per part
  • bright red to rose purple at first, fading to pink then brown
  • oval shaped and up to 6 cm long
  • in large drooping clusters.

Seeds are:

  • black
  • about 5 mm in diameter
  • round.

Stems are:

  • light brown and smooth when young
  • often ridged when mature.

Trunks are:

  • corky with bark that peels off in square sections
  • rough
  • brown
  • up to 50 cm in diameter.

Where is it found?

In NSW, Chinese rain trees have naturalised on the North Coast.

They are native to Taiwan and have also become a weed in Japan and the USA.

What type of environment does it grow in?

Chinese rain trees grow in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical climates. They can grow in full sun or partial shade but seedlings growing in shade may not develop to maturity.

It is very hardy and tolerates droughts, frosts and flooding conditions.

Chinese rain tree grows on a wide range of well-drained to wet soils. Although it can tolerate salt spray, it does not grow in saline soil. It is likely to grow in:

  • riparian areas and gullies
  • urban areas including gardens and parks
  • open woodlands
  • the edges of forests
  • disturbed areas such as roadsides.

How does it spread?

Plants have been spread in NSW by people planting Chinese rain tree as an ornamental.

Seed viability is high in warm climates and seeds may survive in the soil for long periods. The papery fruit helps with wind dispersal and seeds may also spread in moving water. Seeds can also be spread by people dumping garden waste.

References

CRC for Australian Weed Management (2003). Weed Management Guide:Chinese rain tree Koelreuteria elegans subsp. Formosana. Weed Management Cooperative Research Centre.

Identic Pty Ltd. and Lucid (2016). Environmental Weeds of Australia Fact sheet: Koelreuteria elegans (Seem.) A.C. Sm. subsp. formosana (Hayata) F.G. Mey. Retrieved 22 July 2025 from: https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/koelreuteria_elegans_subsp._formosana.htm

Meyer, F. G. (1976). A revision of the genus Koelreuteria (Sapindaceae). Journal of the Arnold Arboretum, 57(2), 129-166.

Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER). (2009). Koelreuteria elegans Risk assessment results. Retrieved 22 July 2025 from: http://www.hear.org/pier/wra/pacific/koelreuteria_elegans_htmlwra.htm

More information

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Control

Successful weed control requires follow up after the initial efforts. This means looking for and killing new seedlings or regrowth. Using a combination of control methods is usually more successful.

Prevention

Remove planted Chinese rain trees and check the site for seedlings.

Chemical control

Basal barking

Apply herbicide mixed with diesel all the way around the trunk.

Cut stump method

Cut trunks and apply herbicide to the stump within 15 seconds of cutting.

Stem injection

Drill or make cuts into the sapwood all the way around the trunk and fill with herbicide 15 seconds of making the cut.

Herbicide options

WARNING - ALWAYS READ THE LABEL
Users of agricultural or veterinary chemical products must always read the label and any permit, before using the product, and strictly comply with the directions on the label and the conditions of any permit. Users are not absolved from compliance with the directions on the label or the conditions of the permit by reason of any statement made or not made in this information. To view permits or product labels go to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website www.apvma.gov.au

See Using herbicides for more information.

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 35 mL per L diesel/kerosene
Comments: Basal bark
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 21 mL per L diesel/kerosene
Comments: Basal bark
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 1.5 parts water
Comments: Cut stump or stem injection
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L with Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 1:1.5 glyphosate to water + 1 g metsulfuron to 1 L water
Comments: Stem injection
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area Duty
All of NSW General Biosecurity Duty
All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

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For technical advice and assistance with identification please contact your local council weeds officer.

Reviewed 2026

The papery red and pink fruit are prominent during summer.
The papery red and pink fruit are prominent during summer. (Photo: B.R. Monroe, (courtesy of Weeds CRC))

The trunk of Chinese rain tree is light brown with ridges.
The trunk of Chinese rain tree is light brown with ridges. (Photo: Weeds CRC)

The seeds are small, black and round and are covered with a hard casing.
The seeds are small, black and round and are covered with a hard casing. (Photo: F.J. Santana (courtesy of Weeds CRC))

Branched clusters of yellow flowers are prominent during spring.
Branched clusters of yellow flowers are prominent during spring. (Photo: USDA-NRCS Plants (courtesy of Weeds CRC))

A large Chinese rain tree planted in an urban area as a street tree.
A large Chinese rain tree planted in an urban area as a street tree. (Photo: B.R. Monroe, (courtesy of Weeds CRC))

The leaves are dark green on top and lighter green below.
The leaves are dark green on top and lighter green below. (Photo: USDA-NRCS Weeds CRC)

Each fruit divides into three sections.
Each fruit divides into three sections. (Photo: B.R. Monroe, (courtesy of Weeds CRC))