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Japanese Pagoda Tree   arrow

Sophora japonica (so-for’-a ja-pon’-i-ka)
Family: Fabaceae, Pea


Key Steps


Description

Japanese Pagoda Tree LeafLeaf: Oddly pinnate, 7-17 leaflets, each 1-2 inches long, pointed tip, smooth margin. Shiny green above, slightly hairy beneath. Swollen base of petiole encloses bud. Leaf is 6-10 inches long.

Bud: Blackish, woolly, small. Concealed by leaf scar. Unstalked. True terminal bud absent.

Leaf Scar: Raised, V-shaped, 3 bundle scars.

Stem: Slender, smooth. Green on young trees. Gray lenticels. Protruding nodes.

Pith: Solid, green.

Flower: Creamy white, 6-12 inches long, terminal panicles. Blooms in summer. Fragrant.

Fruit: Bright greenish-yellow pod, turning brown. 2-4 inches long. 1-6 seeds. Pod persists.

Habit: Large shade trees. Broad, round crown. To 40 feet tall.

Culture: Adapts to alkaline and saline soils. Moderate moisture requirement.


Resources

Colorado Master Gardener
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