Schizolobium parahyba

This quite curious tree with straight trunk and showy golden flowers can grow as fast as 10 ft meters per year, to reach up to 60-70 ft or more in natural habitat. It is an indigenous plant of the Atlantic forest of Brazil, also found in Costa Rica in regions with a well defined dry season. The tree has enormous bipinnate leaves that sometimes exceed 6-7 ft in length, so many people confuse this tree with a fern or palm. Native to tropical regions, the tree still can withstand mild frost once established.