Sophora japonica

COMMON NAME: Japanese Pagodatree; Japan Pagodatree; Scolar-tree

FAMILY: Fabaceae

GROWTH HABIT: Medium size tree (50 - 75 ft.) in height with a comparable spread.

FOLIAGE: Alternate, pinnately compound, deciduous. 6 - 10 in. long, 7 - 17 leaflets, entire, ovate to lance-ovate, 1 - 2 in. long, half as wide, acute, broad cuneate to rounded at base, medium to dark green and lustrous above.

BUDS: Small, reddish-brown, hairy, almost hidden under u- or v-shaped, raised leaf scars.

BARK: Small, blackish, woolly, sessile, indistinctly scale. terminal bud lacking.

FLOWERS: Racemes or panicles (6 - 12 in. long), Very light yellow, sometimes with pink tinge, papilionaceous. Blooms July - mid August.

FRUIT: Pod, bright green changing to yellow and finally yellow brown, 2 - 4 in. long, 1 - 6 seeded; October and may remain all winter.

NATIVE HABITAT: China, Korea