Laburnum anagyroides
Common laburnum
Common names: Golden chain tree, Golden rain
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Pruning
- Jul–Aug
- Flowering
- May–Jun
Photo: Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Description
Laburnum anagyroides, commonly known as golden rain or bean tree, is a small tree or large shrub that reaches 4 to 7 m in height. In mid‑May to early June (week 20 to 23) it produces long, pendulous clusters of bright yellow flowers that transform gardens into a striking display. After flowering it bears decorative but poisonous seed pods that may remain hanging into the autumn. All parts of the plant are highly toxic, especially the pea‑shaped seeds in the pods.
Care instructions
Plant in a sunny to partially shaded position with well‑drained, calcareous soil. Water regularly during the first two years if dry, then the plant tolerates drought well. Prune only when necessary, immediately after flowering in June, to allow flower buds to mature for the next year. Remove wilted flower clusters and resulting pods promptly, especially if children or pets are present. The safest location is away from play areas and fruit‑bearing beds.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringMay–Jun
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lime-loving, loamy, dry
Laburnum likes free-draining, rather dry to moderately fresh soil and tolerates lime well. Heavy, waterlogged clay soils should be loosened with sand or gravel before planting. It feels most at home in warm, sunny spots with a low to medium nutrient content.
Feeding
Light feeder
As a frugal wild shrub, laburnum needs hardly any additional nutrients. A dose of compost in spring is entirely enough on poor soils. Overly generous feeding encourages soft shoot growth, which is more likely to be cut back by frost in winter.
Pruning
Prune laburnum straight after flowering in summer, so that the flower buds for the next year can form in good time. Remove spent racemes as well as dead and crossing branches to keep the crown open. Cutting back in winter or spring, on the other hand, will cost you a large part of the flowering.
Overwintering
As an established shrub in Central Europe, laburnum is completely hardy and needs no protection. Only young, freshly planted specimens benefit from a mulch layer over the root zone in the first winter. Container plants should be placed in a bright spot protected from frost.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
- Grafting
Sowing is the simplest: collect the seeds in autumn, because they need a cold period to germinate, and then sow them outdoors or pre-germinated in the fridge. Semi-ripe cuttings in late summer root only moderately reliably, but are an option for propagation that comes true to type. Grafted cultivars such as the hybrid Laburnum × watereri are grafted in winter onto seedlings of Laburnum anagyroides. Remember that all parts of the plant and especially the seeds are poisonous, so work with gloves and keep children away.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
particularly well establishedLeguminous plants collect nitrogen in the soil, from which Brassicaceae benefit as heavy feeders.
For example White cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 41 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
carrot family (Apiaceae)
Peas and beans provide carrot and celery with nitrogen and grow as shallow-rooted plants without competition next to each other.
For example CarrotCeleriacDillParsleyFlorence fennelCoriander and 21 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
Rather not
amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae)
particularly well establishedAllium species inhibit the nitrogen‑fixing rhizobia of legumes through their root exudates, which slows their growth.
For example GarlicOnionLeekChivesWild daffodilRocambole and 12 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop‑rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Common laburnum yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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