Japanese Pagodatree

The Chinese Scholar Tree or Japanese Pagoda Tree is a native of China, Korea, and Vietnam (not Japan). this medium sized tree grows to 65 feet in height, usually with a broad round crown. It has a rapid growth rate and tolerates city conditions, heat and drought. When grown in a yard, the Japanese Pagoda Tree can reach a height ranging from 50 to 75 feet; however, when grown in compacted soil, it only grows to 30 or 40 feet. Sophora has a height and spread of from 40 to 60 feet. It is hardy in zones 4 to 8 and prefers an open, sunny location.

The LEAVES are 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. Foliage The 6- to 10-inch, bright-green, pinnate leaves are fern-like and consist of 9 to 15, elliptic leaflets. The leaves are extremely pest-free. Fall color is yellow.

This tree begins to bloom when 10 to 15 years old. In late summer and early fall, 10-to 15-inch upright panicles of mildly fragrant, creamy-white, pea-like FLOWERS are produced at the ends of branches and live about a month. The FLOWERS are creamy white, pea-like, in a long hanging cluster, each flower 1/2 inch long, appearing in July. Flowers are replaced by ornamental yellow SEED PODS, 6 to 8 inches long, which persist well into the winter and resemble strings of beads.

The FRUIT is a 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.

The young BARK is pale gray, becoming furrowed into fibrous, interlaced, scaly ridges. Furrows are mostly vertical with little criss-crossing.

The TWIGS are moderate, shiny green, lighter lenticels, raised nodes, leaf scar a deep U-shape encircling the small brown buds, no true terminal bud. The tree has fine grained white WOOD.