Common Laburnum - Laburnum anagyroides

This small deciduous tree flowers in late May or early June. It has pubescent greyish-green branchlets, leaves with a petiole up to 7 centimetres long and leaves of a similar length.

It is very attractive with abundant racemes of yellow flowers hanging down from the stalks. It is a fast growing tree and tolerant of air pollution and makes a great visual impact when in flower. All parts of the plant are poisonous and as the pods containing the seeds can look quite attractive to children, they need to be protected from the danger presented by the seeds.

It is an attractive tree in a country garden where cultivars such as wateri and vossi can sometimes be almost too neat and prolific in flowering. But that is just the author’s personal opinion.

Because Laburnums grow quite quickly and are pliable and flexible when young and the flowers are pendent it is used and trained to arches to make a very pleasing walkway through a garden

Laburnum trees in the fall

Laburnum branches with a single flower