Angsana (HT 2003 99)

Reference ID
HT 2003-99

Scientific name: Pterocarpus indicus
Family name: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Girth: 8.36 m @ 1.3 m height
Height: 22.6 m

Location
Pender Road, within grounds
of the Danish Seamen's Church

The Angsana is a large deciduous tree that grows up to 40m in height. Its crown is dense, dome-shaped, wide-spreading, with drooping, pinnate compound leaves. Its flowers are yellow and occur in large bunches of 15-30 cm long, and the fruits are flattened, disc-like pods with papery wings about 5cm in diameter, 1 or more seeds in each. Cultivated as a street tree here in Singapore, the Angsana is native to India, China throughout Southeast Asia, excluding Singapore.

The floral buds of the Angsana develop high up on the crown, unnoticed by anyone, until the right stimulus triggers the buds on the crown to bloom in yellow simultaneously. This brilliant display of colour lasts only for a day, after which the tree lays a soft carpet of yellow flowers on the ground beneath it.

The building being used by the Danish Seamen's Church nearby at 10 Pender Road was built in 1910. It was formerly called the Golden Bell mansion and was built as the home of Mr Tan Boo Liat, a great-grandson of Mr Tan Tock Seng, the philanthropist whose name the famous Hospital was named after. Mr Tan B.L. sold the Golden Bell mansion shortly some time after it was built. It is recorded that Dr Sun Yat Sen spent a night in the 'Golden Bell' during a visit to Singapore.

It is likely that this Heritage Tree had withstood the ravages of time since the early half of the 20^th century.

For more information on this species, please refer to NParks' Flora & Fauna Web profile here.

Gallery

View of Heritage Tree from Mount Faber Loop
(📷: Heritage Tree Secretariat)

View of Heritage Tree from Danish Seamen's Church grounds (📷: Brendon Phuah)