We’re just back from a short trip to Lake Tahoe and wanted to share a tree that is clearly one town along the Lake’s favorite. The town is Incline Village– the tree – Laburnum watereri ‘Vossii’.
No words do justice to the visual impact of the golden-wisteria like flowers. Wow! I’m familiar with the Golden Chain tree, but frankly, I’ve never used it and rarely see it around the SF Bay Area.
So I was completely surprised… So much so, that I rhetorically asked Judy if she wondered why so many home gardens in Incline have, one, or several, Golden Chain trees? Then I said – because once you see them in bloom, if you have a garden here, you’ll want one, too!
How about you? Looking for a tree with spring/summer blooms? If so, take a look below to see if Golden Chain Tree is good fit for your outdoor space.
Vossii Golden Chain Tree – blooming Incline Village, Nevada. June 24, 2019.
Close up: Leaves and Flowers.
Here’s the Scoop on this Tree:
Botanical Name: Laburnum x watereri ‘Vossii’
Common Names: Vossii Golden Chain Tree
Family: Fabaceae
Zones: 6 – 8
Origin: This plant’s a hybrid whose parents are native to Mediterranean climate regions of Europe.
Mature Size: 20’h x 15’w.
General Information: This is a deciduous tree with a graceful, open habit and spreading branches. Bark is green. Leaves are three-lobed and bright green. Lengthy, drooping chains of fragrant, golden-yellow flowers bloom from mid-spring to summer. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Similar in appearance to Wisteria!
Flowers: Yellow fragrant flowers are very showy and profuse and are borne on 6 to 12 inch pendulous racemes. Flowering is most prolific in cooler summer regions. Bloom time: Spring/Summer.
Fruit: 1 to 4 inch legume. Matures summer to fall.
Water: High to moderate. Does poorly and may not survive without summer water.
Soil: Does well in acid, neutral, loam sandy soils. Doesn’t tolerate alkaline soils.
Tolerances: Salt air and cold hardy.
Note: Plant parts are poisonous, keep away from young children and pets.
Conclusion
Vossii Golden Chain Tree is spectacular in bloom and definitely one to consider! Another summer blooming tree worth checking out is Albizia julibrissin. This easy to grow tree is very popular in the Bay Area and will be in flower over the July 4th weekend. Bonus! 🙂
