Golden Rain Tree is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 11 and shrugs off deer. Its late spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Golden Rain Tree — the short answer
Golden Rain Tree: grown in zones 5–11, full sun, pH 4.5–8.
- USDA zones
- 5–11
- Hardy to zone 5a — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
- Soil pH
- 4.5–8
- USDA PLANTS
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Golden Rain Tree on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether golden rain tree actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score golden rain tree against your land's real conditions.
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What Golden Rain Tree is
Golden Rain Tree grows as a perennial and reaches around 35 feet at maturity. It blooms yellow in late spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Golden Rain Tree
Golden Rain Tree grows in USDA zones 5 through 11. Golden Rain Tree does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 8.
USDA Zones
5-11
Rated hardy to zone 5a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.
Soil pH
4.5 - 8
USDA PLANTS
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
Data pending
Cold Hardiness
-28°F
The coldest temperature this plant is documented to survive.
USDA PLANTS
Mature Height
35 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set golden rain tree in full sun with well-drained soil.
Match the soil
Golden Rain Tree prefers pH 4.5 to 8 (USDA PLANTS). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Shape it while it is young
Prune golden rain tree only to remove dead, damaged or crossing branches while it is young; it is grown for its form, not a harvest, so little more is needed once it settles in.
Where Golden Rain Tree thrives
Golden Rain Tree is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 5–11 spans average winter lows from -20°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 29 outright and splits 21 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 5–11·Where Golden Rain Tree growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Golden Rain Tree stands, state by state
Golden Rain Tree is rated for zones 5–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 29 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 21 more, and 1 sits outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 5–11
29 states
3 of 29 shown
The line runs through
21 states
3 of 21 shown
Golden Rain Tree’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 5–11
1 state
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Golden Rain Tree
Growing guides for golden rain tree
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — golden rain tree is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Golden Rain Tree offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Golden Rain Tree's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Golden Rain Tree will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether golden rain tree actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Golden Rain Tree
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Golden Rain Tree in my zone?
Golden Rain Tree grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 11 (Rated hardy to zone 5a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Golden Rain Tree?
Set golden rain tree out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Golden Rain Tree need?
Golden Rain Tree needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Golden Rain Tree need?
Golden Rain Tree prefers soil pH 4.5 to 8 (USDA PLANTS). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Golden Rain Tree attract pollinators?
Yes — golden rain tree's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees.
Is Golden Rain Tree safe for pets?
Golden Rain Tree is toxic to dogs and cats with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring Golden Rain Tree
Golden Rain Tree state by state
Every state golden rain tree's zone reaches — 24 link straight to that state's golden rain tree growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.