Virginia Tech Dendrology

Japanese pagoda tree Fabaceae Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott symbol: STJA9
Leaf: Alternate, pinnately compound, 6 to 10 inches long, 7 to 17 leaflets, individual leaflets ovate, 1 to 2 inches long, entire margin, green above, slightly lighter below.
Flower: Creamy white, pea-like, in a long hanging cluster, each flower 1/2 inch long, appearing in mid-summer.
Fruit: Legume, yellow-green becoming light brown at maturity, 3 to 8 inches long, constricted between seeds, looks like a string of pearls, maturing in early fall, persisting all winter.
Twig: Moderate, shiny green, lighter lenticels, raised nodes, leaf scar a deep U-shape encircling the small brown buds, no true terminal bud.
Bark: Gray-brown, splitting into ridges and furrows, reddish brown in furrows, furrows mostly long and vertical.
Form: A medium sized tree to 65 feet in height, usually with a broad round crown.
Looks like: Texas sophora - yellowwood - black locust

Additional Range Information: Styphnolobium japonicum is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2025 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