Saraca declinata (Red Saraca)

Saraca declinata, commonly known as Red Saraca, is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree in the Fabaceae family native to Thailand and neighboring parts of Southeast Asia. It is the provincial tree of Yala Province, Thailand, and is admired for its graceful habit, dense canopy, and spectacular flushes of new growth. Young leaves emerge in deep shades of pink to reddish bronze, hanging in soft tassel-like clusters before gradually expanding and turning glossy green. Mature trees typically reach 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12 m) tall and produce dense clusters of showy orange-red to scarlet flowers on older branches and trunks.

Saraca declinata grows best in full sun to partial shade and fertile, well-drained soil with regular moisture. It thrives in warm, humid climates and is hardy in USDA Zones 10-12. The striking display of colorful young foliage is characteristic of all Saraca species and is also seen in closely related genera such as Amherstia, Brownea, and Maniltoa, whose emerging leaves likewise hang in elegant pink or white cascades. A closely related species is Saraca indica, while some botanical sources have treated Saraca declinata as a synonym of Saraca cauliflora.