PlantFiles: Waterer Laburnum, Goldenchain Tree
Laburnum x watereri 'Vossii'

A stunning performer when in May bloom, it seems to hate the summer heat and looks like a tree from "Transylvania" for the rest of the year. I have gotten the seeds to germinate and am looking forward to adding another to my garden soon. Sometimes takes a year off to "recharge" but the next year comes back with overwhelming blooms. I feed it 'Fruit and Deciduous Tree' spikes 2x a year and it does'nt seem to mind.

Absolutely gorgeous when in full bloom, especially the 'Vossii' cultivar, which has longer, more abundant chains of flowers. My local nurseryman advised me that this tree dislikes fertilizer and nutrient-rich soil, and that it will do fine in relatively poor, dry soil with its deep, clover-like taproot. The tree is related to clover, and can generate its own nitrogen. Do not plant where young children can eat the poisonous seeds. I've returned to my nursery about six times to purchase this tree, and always hold off at the last minute, because the tree's structure is not nearly as beautiful as its flowers. After the flowers fade and drop, the tree looks "weedy" - this is esp. true if the local nursery tries to prune the tree into more desirable shapes, because the tree rebels and often stops growing at the point where it was pruned, leaving it looking ratty. I've also seen the tree rebel in the opposite way, growing like crazy with multiple new shoots at the point where it was pruned, creating a witch-broom effect. This tree should ideally be appreciated for its flaws, and allowed to grow in its own way, without excessive pruning.