Family: Sapindaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
The Chinese flame tree (Koelreuteria elegans), also known as golden rain tree, is native to Taiwan and Fiji. It is a fast-growing, deciduous tree typically reaching 35–40 feet tall, with compound leaves and showy clusters of small yellow flowers. These are followed by distinctive pinkish to rose, papery, lantern-like seed capsules that make the tree popular in ornamental landscaping. It has been widely planted as a street or garden tree in Hawaiʻi, California, Florida, and other warm regions due to its attractive appearance and tolerance of drought, poor soils, and some frost.

Risks & Threats
This species is already naturalized on Oʻahu and potentially naturalizing on Maui, meaning it has escaped cultivation and is establishing self-sustaining populations. The Chinese flame tree possesses multiple high-risk traits: it produces thousands of readily germinating seeds, spreads by wind, tolerates a wide range of conditions, and forms dense thickets of seedlings that displace native plants. It is considered an environmental weed in Florida and Australia, where it invades roadside woodlands and bushland. In Hawaiʻi’s sensitive tropical island ecosystems, this tree could similarly degrade native habitats. Plant Pono recommends choosing a native or low-risk non-invasive alternative instead.

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized in Florida, Hawaii, Australia, Japan; listed as environmental weed
  
• Produces thousands of seedlings; major garden/amenity weed
  
• Tolerates wide climate range (zones 8B-11), drought, frost, many soil types
  
• Produces viable, orthodox seed; germinates in 6-8 days; seedbank persists
  
• Wind-dispersed papery capsules
  
• Widely planted as ornamental; spreads intentionally by people
  
• Spreads unintentionally along roadsides via vehicles
  
• Likely self-compatible (related species is)
  
• Fast-growing; reaches reproductive age in ~3 years

Low Risk Traits:

• Not allelopathic, parasitic, or toxic
  
• No major pests or fire hazard
  
• Not shade-tolerant; requires full sun
  
• Upright tree; not climbing, aquatic, or a geophyte
  
• No vegetative reproduction or fruit/seed adaptation for animal dispersal
  
• Not a produce contaminant
  
• Low seed density (<1000/m²)
  
• Well controlled by glyphosate or triclopyr