Laburnum anagyroides
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- la-BURN-um an-ah-gy-ROY-deez
- This plant has high severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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The Golden Chain Tree is a small, deciduous, flowering tree or large shrub in the bean family that grows to 30 feet tall, with an equal spread, at maturity. It has smooth bark, dark green spreading branches and pendulous and pubescent twigs. The leaves are generally trifoliate and oval with long petioles, smooth on the upper side and hairy on the underside. The pea-like, fragrant, yellow flowers bloom during May and June. The genus name is the Latin name. The species name means resembling the genus Anagyris.
Golden Chain Tree does best in organically rich, medium moisture, well drained soil in full sun, but does tolerate partial shade. The tree does not do well in the heat and humidity of the deep South (south of USDA Zone 7) and prefers climates where both summer and winter temperature are moderate.
Golden Chain Tree can be pruned to shape as a flowering hedge. If you are forming it as a small tree, remove root suckers as they appear. Also remove the seedpods as they are not ornamental and are poisonous. Wear gloves when working with this plant.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
Twig blight is an infrequent but serious disease. Canker and leaf spot can be problems. Watch for aphids and mealybugs.The tree is short-lived and does not tolerate heat. Full drainage is especially important.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Sunspire'
- 'Sunspire'
- 'Sunspire'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Sunspire'
- 'Sunspire'
- 'Sunspire'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Laburnum
- Species:
- anagyroides
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Wood is coarse grained, durable, and very hard. It can be used as an ebony substitute, and is used in making instruments and furniture where strength and smoothness are important.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central and Southeastern Europe
- Distribution:
- Britain, India, South America, New Zealand
- Edibility:
- The seeds are extremely poisonous to humans as well as goats and horses, especially when not ripe.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Open
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- 24-60 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Description:
- The fruit is a long, flattened pod that splits open when ripe. The seeds are legumes with a large numbers of black seeds that contain cytisine, an alkaloid extremely poisonous to humans as well as goats and horses, especially when not ripe.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- asymmetrical petals
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- > 6 inches
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are pea-like, golden, in long drooping clusters 6 to 10 inches long. Golden Chain Tree blooms are pea-like, yellow flowers densely packed in pendulous racemes 4 to 10 inches long. The flowers are sweet-scented.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Insignificant
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are alternate, long-stalked with 3 leaflets 1 to 3 inches long. It has insignificant fall color.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Surface/Attachment:
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- The bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Sparsely branched and often loses lower branches.
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Landscape:
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Hedge
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Pollution
- Wind
- Problems:
- Messy
- Poisonous to Humans
- Short-lived
- Weedy
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- High
- Poison Symptoms:
- All parts of the tree are poisonous: roots, bark, wood, leaves, flower-buds, petals, and seedpods. The harmful part of the plant is the seedpods. In many cases of ingestion of a small number of seeds, there are no symptoms. Where symptoms do occur these are usually nausea and vomiting. Higher doses can produce intense sleepiness, convulsive possibly tetanic movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils. Nervousness, stomach and intestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; irregular pulse, convulsions, coma. HIGHLY TOXIC MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Cytisine, an alkaloid
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Bark
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Roots
- Sap/Juice
- Seeds
- Stems
