Desert Cassia for Fall and Winter Color, Delivered and Planted
When most of the yard goes quiet in winter, desert cassia is covered in golden-yellow flowers: a small, fast-growing, drought-tolerant tree that does well across Southwest Florida. It stays 6 to 15 ft tall, so it fits patios and side yards, and it draws sulphur butterflies. It comes in a 25 gallon size, delivered and set in full sun by our crew.
- Light:
- Full sun
- Water:
- Low to moderate; drought tolerant once established
- Salt:
- Moderate; handles light salt spray
Desert Cassia sizes we deliver and plant
Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.
| Plant | Sizes |
|---|---|
| Desert Cassia | 25 Gallon |
Desert Cassia in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 6 to 15 ft tall and 6 to 10 ft wide
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low to moderate; drought tolerant once established
- Salt tolerance
- Moderate; handles light salt spray
- Cold tolerance
- Hardy to about zone 9b; a hard freeze may drop leaves or burn tips, and it usually recovers
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Florida native
- No
- Botanical name
- Senna polyphylla
Where Desert Cassia works in a SW Florida yard
Plant desert cassia where you can see it from a window or patio in winter, when its arching branches fill with yellow flowers. It works as a small multi-stem tree by a patio, a screen at the side of the lot, or a back-of-bed shrub.
Pair it with firebush, pentas and blue porterweed so butterflies have nectar the rest of the year.
- Fall and winter flower color
- Butterfly gardens
- Small patio trees
- Dry, sunny corners
How our crew plants it
Plant in full sun with the root ball level with the soil, in a hole about twice the pot's width. It dislikes wet feet, so raise the spot a few inches if the ground floods.
Backfill with native soil, add mulch and water in. For the first month or two, soak it every few days, which the Lee and Collier establishment allowance covers.
Care after planting
- Prune lightly in late March or April, after the main bloom, to shape it and keep it from getting leggy.
- Give it a deep soak weekly through its first winter and spring, then leave it to rainfall.
- Skip fertilizer in most years; if you feed, do it in spring, and never with nitrogen or phosphorus during the summer ban.
- Tip-prune young branches in spring so the tree builds a fuller shape instead of a few long, leggy stems.
What to watch for
- Sulphur butterfly caterpillars chew the leaves, which does the tree little harm, so skip sprays that would kill them.
- A hard freeze can drop leaves or burn tips inland, so wait until frost danger passes before pruning out damage.
Desert Cassia questions we hear
When does desert cassia bloom in Florida?+
Mostly from mid-October into May, with scattered flowers at other times. The blooms are about an inch wide and golden yellow, which makes it a good fall and winter color plant. Full sun and light pruning after the main bloom keep the flowers coming.
How big does desert cassia get?+
Usually 6 to 15 ft tall and 6 to 10 ft wide, and often around 10 to 12 ft. It grows fast but stays small enough for a patio corner or side yard. Prune after the winter bloom to keep it compact.
Does desert cassia attract butterflies?+
Yes. It is a host plant for sulphur butterfly caterpillars and a strong nectar source for many South Florida butterflies. You may see chewed leaves, which the tree recovers from, so skip insecticides if you want to keep the butterflies.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Desert Cassia
Tell us what and how many. Quinten prices it from the nursery's live list and texts you back, usually within the hour during the day.
Only need the plant delivered, no planting? It is on our nursery's list at Palm & Plant Co.
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We deliver and plant across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, Estero, Bonita Springs and about an hour around.