Mendel’s Gardens

Laburnum × watereri

Golden Chain Tree · Bean Tree

Family FabaceaeGenus Laburnum

Also published as Laburnum vossii, Laburnum × vossii. You are in the right place.

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Safety

Toxicity
All parts of this tree are poisonous. The seedpods are quite poisonous.

The plant

Habit
Tree
Height
15-30 ft
Spread
15-30 ft
Flower
Showy; yellow
Blooms
May to June
Native range
Garden origin
Hardiness zones
5-7
Note
Twig blight is infrequent but can be serious. Watch for aphids and mealybugs.

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun to part shade
Soil
Organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained
Watering
Medium

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Source: Plant Finder — Missouri Botanical Garden.

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 29, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Nick or sand the seed coat

    A hole ground through the seed coat.

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 7 days to germinate.

100% germination in 5–7 days.

The hole is the whole protocol. Grind one and it is 100% inside a week.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, LaburnumPublic domain
Show the original text
Laburnum (Fabaceae). L. vossi germ. 100% in 5-7 d at 70 providing a hole is ground through the seed coat. Germination is negligible without this pretreatment.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Laburnum. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

    Negligible without the hole.

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

Deno calls germination negligible without the hole, and gives no figure for it.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, LaburnumPublic domain
Show the original text
Laburnum (Fabaceae). L. vossi germ. 100% in 5-7 d at 70 providing a hole is ground through the seed coat. Germination is negligible without this pretreatment.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Laburnum. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.