Woody > Styphnolobium > Styphnolobium japonicum > Styphnolobium japonicum
Styphnolobium japonicum
Scholar-tree or Japanese pagoda tree
Mike's
Opinion
"
For those in the right zone this is an excellent tree. It has attractive creamy flowers which have the added benefit of producing a slight fragrance which is more pronounced when they carpet the ground. Additionally it provides excellent shade because of its thick canopy and lush foliage.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Fabaceae or Papilionaceae |
| Genus |
| Styphnolobium |
| Species |
| japonicum |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| Pronunciation |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 4-7 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 5C |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 20F |
| Height |
| 16-23 m |
| Spread |
| 15 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Large tree having a fairly round shape casting a dense shadow on the ground. The bark can resemble A. saccharum but is lighter in colour and the ridges are less pronounced. |
| Cultivation |
| Grows easily from seed which may benefit from scarification. Vulnerable to cold when young but becomes very hardy once is reaches a fair size. Difficult to train into a single leader, so be prepared to grow a multi-stemed tree. |
| Shape |
| Large rounded dense canopy. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| ID Characteristic |
| Odd, compound leaves which are quite rich in colour. The tree casts a large, round, dense shadow. The bark is medium ridges. The fruit is a short, slim pod that has a very bitter taste to it; take my word on this fact. |
| Pests |
| Twig blight, canker, powder mildew, leaf hoppers and potato hoppers may be of concern. |
| Habitat |
| China and Korea. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Pale grayish in colour, furrowed with medium-deep ridges.The bark can resemble A. saccharum but is lighter in colour and the ridges are less pronounced. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Blackish in colour, minute, concealed by the leaf scar. |
| Leaf Description |
| Odd, pinnately compound, being 15-25 cm long with 7-17 leaflets. Leaflets tend to be lance-ovate in shape and are about 2-5 cm long. Leaflets are medium green on top and glaucous underneath, with a very rich , luxuriant colour to them. |
| Flower Description |
| The flowers are perfect, creamy white in colour and slightly fragrant. It blooms late in the season in North America sometime between July and August (zone dependent). |
| Fruit Description |
| The fruit is a pod, light-green in colour that changes to yellow, then brown: pods can remain on the tree over the winter. |
| Colour Description |
| Medium-green leaves, light gray bark and white-cream flowers. |
| Texture Description |
| Smooth leaves early in the season, becoming slightly leathery late in the season. |
| Propagation |
| Seed should be planted fresh, scarification may help but is not necessary for germination. |
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