Virginia Tech Dendrology

goldenchain tree Fabaceae Laburnum xwatereri (Wettst.) Dippel [alpinum x anagyroides] symbol: LAWA7
Leaf: Alternate, compound, trifoliate, each leaflet with an entire margin, elliptical, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, petioles as long as leaflets, bright green.
Flower: Species is monoecious; bright yellow, in hanging 8 to 14 inch long clusters, each pea-like flower about 1 inch long, appearing in late spring.
Fruit: Flat pod in hanging clusters, initially green but turning brown when ripe in early fall.
Twig: Moderately stout, initially bright green but turning olive-green; buds grayish brown, hairy, leaf scar broadly U-shaped.
Bark: Remains greenish and smooth for a long time, eventually turning gray-brown with numerous lighter lenticels and splits.
Form: A small tree up to 15 to 20 feet tall, with a round crown composed of a few branches.

Additional Range Information: Laburnum xwatereri is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information