This tree is called caña fistula, carao, cañadonga, cassia fistula, golden showers, and Aragvadha, which translates to “disease killer”, and “rajavrksa” in Sanskrit. This tree is found in many countries, from India, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It has been cultivated for both its ornamental and medicinal uses. The tree produces bright yellow flowers that drop down in clusters and can grow up to 40 feet high. The fruits are long and can contain up to 100 seeds. They start green and mature once the flowers shed, turning dark brown. The whole tree has medicinal benefits; the fruits, seeds, leaves, roots, and bark all have similar and specific actions. Some actions associated with cassia fistula are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, antitussive, antipyretic, hepatoprotective, aperient, and vulnerary. In Ayurveda medicine, cassia fistula affects all three doshas, Vata, Pitah, and Kapha. It is described as being sweet, having cold energetics, and as a post-digestive remedy.
I have experience working with the fruit and seeds. The fruits are dried and diced into 1/2 - 1 inch cylinder pieces. This is also the form I’ve seen cassia fistula when I visit the local herb vendors in Mexico. Sometimes you can find them in a blend with other herbs, which is where I first saw cassia fistula. It was in a loose leaf blend for coughs with gordolobo, bougainvillea, eucalyptus, and cuatecomate.
When fresh and sliced, the seeds are encased in a sticky black pulp that has a strong earthy aroma with a sweet taste. The sticky mucilaginous qualities of the fruit explain its use for both digestive and respiratory conditions. The pulp offers iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium when consumed in a tea. The fruits are used as a laxative, as well as the leaves, because they contain anthraquinone and glycosides. These compounds contribute to the tree's purgative/laxative actions. In Thailand, traditionally the ripe fruits are boiled in water as a laxative. Both pods and leaves have also been shown to be great allies for colds and flu due to their reducing fever actions. The leaves were also shown to protect the liver and help it detox toxins, another way cassia fistula helps the body cleanse.
Cassia fistula’s antibacterial and antifungal actions were shown in extracts of the seeds, leaves, and flowers. The leaves inhibited Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and S. aureus. Both leaves and flowers inhibited C. Albicans. The seeds were also found to inhibit the growth of these bacteria and many others. Topically the leaves have been used for keeping wounds from getting infected, reducing inflammation, and helping them heal.
As an antiviral, the fruit extract and bark were found effective against Ranikhet disease (RDV) and boive rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus. This makes cassia fistula a useful antiviral amongst animals.
Another use of cassia fistula is as a natural coagulant, a study done in Colombia showed the seed powder successful in treating water.
Overall, this plant can be a go-to for constipation, relieving abdominal pain, IBD, and intestinal infections like Amoebiasis, colds, or flu accompanied by a fever and cough. I highly recommend doing your research to learn more about this plant. This post is just through my lens and of findings that were interesting to me.
Recommended Dosage:
Fruit Pods:
1-2 tbsp boiled in 16oz of water for 20 minutes.
Leaves:
Dried: 1 tbsp steeped in hot water for 10 - 15 minutes
Fresh: 2 tbsp boiled in water for 10 minutes
Bark:
Both bark and leaves can be ground up and mixed with water or oil to make a poultice.
Drink after a meal or an hour before bed on an empty stomach. It is not intended for long-term use. High doses may result in abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Resources
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332221010246
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037887411731810X https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2210803320300786
Cassia http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1692-35612015000200014
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