Pardon the digression from late winter flowers for a moment, but in recent days the blog has been visited by people looking for the "difference vs golden rain trees and golden chain trees". Why the sudden interest? So I thought I'd help out, putting both trees in one post. I never thought about it before, but see how it could be confusing. Rain, chain, chains of rain...
Happily, I have them growing a block apart, one block away from where I type and think about lunch and dinner (it is the Frenchie's birthday - burger at Prune, malfatti at Al di La, pork buns at Momofuku, steak at home?).
Young seedpods on Golden Rain Tree in late July
Golden chain tree in May
The golden chain tree, on the other hand, belongs to spring. Laburnum anagyroides is the species, but the hybrid Laburnum x wateri has longer, scented yellow flower chains.
It is a slender, smaller tree and is sometimes planted in facing rows, bent to the middle and trained to form an arbour, spectacular in bloom. They are best in full sun but the tree pictured here sees only a little eastern sunlight in the morning. Perhaps that is why it leans desperately away from the building, to which it is chained, in case it uproots and escapes in the night. Hardy from Zones 6-8, not leaving you much wiggle room.
Happy birthday, Vince! Hope you guys have a fabulous evening.
ReplyDeleteAnd to further confuse ...Cassia fistula is called,here in Australia, Golden Showers.A client once insisted on "Golden Storms" and I spent hours paging through books for this
ReplyDeletehttp://moreidlethoughts.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/if-you-dont-like-gardens-this-is-not-for-you/
Happy birthday to Vince and every good wish for the future.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to Vince -we share the fish. And by all means a burger and a steak. I am on a diet (really)and would live well vicariously if you ate them all.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to the tall Frenchie.
ReplyDeleteWhatever you eat may it be delicious.
xo Jane
Lol, thanks everybody! It was indeed absolutely de-li-cious!!! (Hint: best cook in the world + steak + peppercorn sauce)
ReplyDeleteMarie, you have inspired me to do a dense, small garden on my back porch. While I live in the country and have a lot of land I could plant in, the last garden I did was almost entirely eaten by deer and other annimals. All I have to worry about on the back porch are rabbits and squirrels. Your website is delicious and very pretty and full of inspiration. I hope it continues to give me the inspiration I need. I'm recovering from some very serious cancer and side effects, and looking to "do something" instead of sit around watching television
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Heather
Dankie arcadia - die beste stuk vleis ooit. New York Strip, well aged :-)
ReplyDeleteMIT - that cassia bloom looks remarkably like laburnum!
Hi Heather - I am so glad you are thinking of a garden on your porch, and thank you for letting me know why you are thinking of one. Gardens have always helped me in difficult times - though I don't think my times have ever been as difficult as yours might be right now; but gardening is a tangible, practical, evolving diversion into which one can pour as little or as much as one pleases. Please stay in touch and ask any questions, if you have them..
Martha Grimes, writer of British mysteries, talks of Laburnum / Golden Chain tree. I live in southwest Louisiana where Golden Rain trees are common. Thanks for clarifying.
ReplyDeleteMy husband found 3-sided green pod that is about 2" long. In the fall, the pods turn orange. Making it look like a "lantern tree" so maybe it is from the golden chain tree. What pods have you seen?
ReplyDelete-- Annabelle
Hello, appreciate your article! I live in the NW (Western WA) & have a huge Golden Chain Tree (20 years old). It is the largest of these two types & bigger root system. It's stunning right around Graduation here; we have delayed Spring & Summer. Very fragrant flowers and the bees are crazy for it. Does NOT have lantern pods & can take colder climate. Needs more space. The Golden Rain Tree is the smaller of the two, has the lantern pods & a more contained root system. Here is a link for a quick description of Golden Chain Tree that I found:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thespruce.com/golden-chain-trees-2132131
Note: We have very strong winds here (considered hurricane force in other areas of country) & have had no damage to our Golden Chain Tree. My only issue is that the dried chains have toxic seeds; clean up right away & be aware for children & pets. We have both & it has never been a problem. I trim off what I can reach & clean up the rest right away when they fall. It's over my lawn, so can use a mower with bag to make it easier. Just love this tree. Flowers are so bright that when you look at it, it looks a bit blurry.:)
Thanks. Lovely that you have a golden chain tree. All that info is in my post but I disagree about the sizes as well as the root system...
DeleteThis was the first result that came up when I typed in Koelreuteria vs. Laburnum. Someone I was with kept calling a Laburnum a Golden Chain tree and my brain was starting to malfunction over the confusion. Similar common names can put me into an existential crisis sometimes.
ReplyDelete