Japanese pagoda tree is a large tree native to China despite its name. Planted along U.S. streets and in parks and lawns, it blooms with creamy white flowers in midsummer, followed by beadlike pods in fall. It is also called Chinese scholar tree.
Appearance
- Appearance
- This broad, rounded tree usually reaches 50–75 ft (15–23 m) tall and about as wide in cultivation.
- Leaves
- Each leaf carries 7–17 smooth-edged, oval leaflets arranged along a central stalk. The foliage often stays green late into fall.
- Flowers
- Small, fragrant, creamy white pea-shaped flowers gather in large clusters at the ends of branches.
- Flowering time
- In the United States, it commonly blooms in July and August.
- Fruit
- The hanging pods are 3–8 in (8–20 cm) long and deeply pinched between one to six seeds. They turn brown in fall and may remain into winter.
Look-alikes
black locustRobinia pseudoacacia
Black locust commonly has paired spines beside the leaf scars and smooth, flat pods. Japanese pagoda tree has beadlike pods pinched deeply between the seeds.
Why they get mixed upBoth have leaves with rows of leaflets and white, pea-shaped flowers.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- streets and parks
- large lawns
- urban gardens
- Range
- It is native to central and southern China and has been introduced to parts of the United States. It is planted as a shade and street tree.
- Preferred conditions
- It grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. Established trees tolerate heat, some drought, and urban pollution, and are generally suited to hardiness zones 4–8.
- Flowering
Flowers Jul–Aug
Flowers Jul–Aug
Growing it
- Propagation
- It can be propagated from seed or stem cuttings. Young trees may take about 10 years to begin flowering.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Older books and nursery listings often call it Sophora japonica.
- Varieties and forms
- The weeping form has strongly drooping branches and is grown as an ornamental.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- DDData DeficientNot enough data yet to assess
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- The common name Japanese pagoda tree reflects its long history of planting near Buddhist temples in Japan, not a Japanese native range.
- In the Mid-Atlantic, the tree is an emerging invasive concern, so local guidance matters before planting.
9 sources
- iNaturalist Taxon API: Styphnolobium japonicum
- Styphnolobium japonicum - Plants of the World Online
- 한국민족문화대백과사전: 회화나무
- 森林総合研究所 九州支所: エンジュ
- Styphnolobium japonicum - North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Robinia pseudoacacia - North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- エンジュ
- イヌエンジュ
- 果実食鳥によって街路植栽より林内に散布されたエンジュの分布特性について