It is a small dry season-deciduous tree growing to 8 m tall. The leaves are palmately compound, with five or seven leaflets, each leaflet 6–18 cm long, green with silvery scales both above and below.
The flowers are bright yellow, up to 6.5 cm in diameter, produced several together in a loose panicle. The fruit is a slender 10 cm long capsule. It is a popular ornamental tree in subtropical and tropical regions, grown for its spectacular flower display on leafless shoots at the end of the dry season.
Grows 6-9m tall with a 3-4m spread and a trunk diameter of 15-20cm. Noted as reaching 20-40cm tall with a 25m spread and a trunk diameter of 1m in its native jungle habitat. Medium to fast growth at rate of 30cm – 1m p/a with the most rapid growth being in the first few years.
