Rain Trees of Connaught Drive

View of Heritage Trees along Connaught Drive (📷: Heritage Tree Secretariat)

Tree planting was formalised in 1881 by the then-Superintendent of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Nathaniel Cantley. Roadside greenery is now a main feature of the business and commercial districts in Singapore.

• 1887 – Several Rain Tree saplings were planted along Connaught Drive, then known as New Esplanade Road. This road was renamed Connaught Drive in 1907 to commemorate the visit of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught.

• 1915 – The Rain Trees along Connaught Drive were well established, creating a scenic view of the waterfront for all to enjoy.

• 1930 – The lush greenery of the Rain Trees framed the forefront of the stately colonial buildings on the other side of the Padang.

• 1955 – The umbrella-shaped crowns of the Rain Trees along Connaught Drive created a ‘green tunnel’ effect, enhancing the cityscape.

A total of 22 Rain Trees  at Connaught Drive have been endorsed as Heritage Trees. This “Avenue of Heritage Trees” has the largest number of trees in a single avenue endorsed under the NParks’ Heritage Tree Scheme.

Some of these Heritage Rain Trees along Connaught Drive are estimated to have been planted in the mid-1880s, which would make them over 130 years old. They would have witnessed historic events in the Civic District including the declaration of independence for Singapore by the then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1963, and Singapore’s first National Day celebrations in 1966.

The Avenue of Heritage Trees underscores the rich history of the Civic District and how these majestic Rain Trees  have matured over the course of time together with the growth of Singapore as a global city-state.

About Rain Trees

The Rain Tree (Samanea saman) is easily recognised by its massive umbrella-shaped, widely-spreading crown which can reach 20 to 30 m across. It has small clusters of flowers that are pinkish or whitish and are slightly fragrant. Its seed pods are thick, long, straight and fleshy inside. The pods ripen black and the seeds germinate readily into seedlings, sometimes while still inside the fruit. Epiphytes like ferns and orchids tend to perch on old Rain Trees.

The leaflets of the Rain Tree fold up in the evenings; this was why the Malays called it Pukul Lima, which means '5 o'clock'. In the past, 5 pm used to be closer to the sunset hour in Singapore and Malaysia before changes to Standard Time were made on 1 Jan 1982. Notably, the leaflets begin to close about one-and-a-half hours before sunset and open about the same time after sunrise. The leaflets also close during the day when the sky was overcast, thus giving rise to the name, Rain Tree.

The Tropical American species was introduced to Singapore in 1876 and by the mid-1900s, it was spread throughout the tropics. Due to its excellent shade, the species have been planted in coffee and nutmeg plantations, and along roadsides. Its sweet fruit pulp is relished by cattle, goats, horses, pigs and even children in some countries.

For more information on this species, please refer to NParks Flora & Fauna Web profile here ↗ (opens in new tab).