Scientific name: Laburnum anagyroides
Family: PAPILIONACEAE , FABACEAE before
Common names: “Golden chain tree” “Laburnum”
Plant Type: Deciduous tree
Conditions:
Zone: 6-8
Light: Full sun best – semi-shade
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Any, tolerates poorer conditions due to nitrogen fixing symbiosis
Moisture: Moist well drained – drought, not soggy soil!
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: 25′ H & W, 6-12″ trunk diameter
Leaf and Stem shape: Trifoliate cloverlike leaves
Flower: 4-12″ long racemes of fragrant pea-like flowers in May
Pruning: Prune to shape, can take a hard cut, full coppice
Maintenance: High, it sets seed in all the garden beds and grows vigorously requiring regular pruning
Landscape use: Large hedging, arbor, not for small city lots
Propagate: By seed, cuttings and suckers
Pests & Disease: Generally healthy looking
Comments: When the Laburnum blooms, the last frost has passed, fixes nitrogen with bacterial root nodules
Commonly used to make: Turned objects, musical instruments (woodwinds), furniture, veneer, fence posts, archery bows, carving
Cultivars: Laburnum alpinum & other hybrids might be less invasive
Laburnum x watereri ‘Vossi’ – Far fewer seeds and longer golden chain flowers
Vancouver Island Grows 