The plant is naturally distributed in southern and southeastern Europe; in our latitudes, the shrub or tree is planted in gardens and parks. The laburnum is one of the ornamental trees that is very popular with European gardeners.
Gold shower is poisonous
The laburnum is an undemanding plant and has little demands on the climate and the soil. Although it blooms magnificently from April to June, the shrub contains toxic alkaloids, especially cytisine. The poison is contained in all parts of the plant, but especially in the seeds. Laburnum should not be planted if small children or animals live in the house. Laburnum was the poisonous plant of 2012.
Care and sowing
The shrub is easy to care for and undemanding. A calcareous, alkaline and warm soil is important for the plant, but it does not have to be deep. It also grows in dry grasslands and rocky areas. The plant loves a lot of sun, but can also be placed in the shade, although there it produces fewer flowers. If the soil is wet and cold, this can lead to disease and a reduction in flowering performance. You don't need to water or fertilize a lot. The golden shower is hardy. If the snow is heavy and wet, you should shake it off as the roots are not heavily branched and cannot support the large bush. To stimulate flowering, the spent grapes should be cut off.
Laburnum is hardy. However, it often happens that branches break off under the weight of snow in winter. The roots are not very branched and sometimes cannot hold the large bush. Heavy wet snow in the crown area should therefore be carefully shaken off.
- easy-care and undemanding shrub
- calcareous and alkaline soil makes sense
- Diseases can form when the soil is too wet and cold
- don't water or fertilize much
- If there is wet snow, remove it from the plant, otherwise branches can break off
If small new plants form on the ground, then the golden shower has finished. These are signs of its frugality; you don't need to do much to reproduce it. If you do not want to propagate, you should cut out the dry flower clusters in good time. The effect is a great display of flowers.
June as the optimal cutting time
Pruning the Laburnum should be done after flowering in June. If the cut is done earlier, you could accidentally remove flowers that have not yet formed. The laburnum has a huge flow of sap in spring and late winter. It is not good to cut it during this time as it could “bleed out”. It is advisable to prune the bush after flowering in June, if at all. If the plant is affected by galena, which is a fungal disease that can be recognized by the gray discolored leaves, the affected shoots should be cut out or cut back to approx. 15 cm. To do this, take secateurs or a knife and clean them in hot water. Only use sharp and clean equipment when cutting, this will prevent pathogens from getting into the plant through injuries!
Cut back the shoots by approx. 15 cm and start below the diseased areas. Do not throw the cut branches into the compost, otherwise the fungus will spread further. The interfaces should be sealed with appropriate material. If you don't get rid of the fungal infestation, the laburnum can usually hardly be saved.
Buying and Planting
When purchasing, make sure that the plant is not too small. There is a risk that the seedling, perhaps 30/50 in size, will be eaten by the snails. The tree should be over a meter tall. In the tree nursery, the tree is offered with three or five shoots. It takes three growing seasons for the tree to grow fully. Autumn, October - November or spring - March is the best time to plant the tree. It is hardy and has few demands on soil and location; it also thrives in urban climates. To plant, place the root ball in a hole that should be twice as big as the ball itself. Then water well, but it should not be fertilized. When planting, the future size of the tree must be taken into account. When old it can reach a height of up to 7 m and a width of 5 m.
A calcareous to alkaline and warm soil is important for the plant. This doesn't have to be particularly profound. Laburnum also grows well in rocky areas or dry grassland areas. It needs a lot of sun. In the shade it produces significantly fewer flowers. Cold and damp soil is unsuitable and leads to diseases and reduced flowering performance.
Cutting
Laburnum should not be pruned unnecessarily. It is enough to remove dried wood and, if necessary, weaker, smaller branches. As a rule, you don't have to do anything to achieve a beautiful growth habit. If the laburnum grows too densely, it can easily be thinned out in the appropriate places. Cutting affects flower formation.
Diseases
The wood can be affected by galena, which is a fungal disease. This can be seen in the gray colored leaves. Infected areas should be cut out generously. However, these do not belong in the compost as the fungus continues to grow. Aphids and spider mites are pests that can attack laburnum. When it comes to aphid infestations, it is important to act early. There are different remedies that you can buy. But savory also deters aphids. Lavender and marigolds are plants that the aphid also doesn't like. The natural enemies are ladybugs, spiders and birds.
Design of the garden
Laburnum can also be grown on rose arches or pergolas. The laburnum also feels at home as a border plant (visual protection). Candytufts or forest hyacinths, harebells or bluebells are pretty as lower plants. However, Laburnum is a solitary wood that works best when it stands alone. Planted with colorful perennials in a border, the laburnum looks like a golden crown. Lilac or viburnum are also ideal companions for the flowering miracle.
What you should know in brief
- The laburnum is an ornamental tree with magnificent grape-like yellow flowers. The flowers bloom from the end of May to June.
- It is a frugal ornamental tree that actually thrives in every garden. The soil should be rich in lime and nutrients.
- It doesn't need any fertilization or special pruning. In addition, the laburnum is frost hardy.
- As a solitary tree it is a bright spot in the garden, but it can also be combined with colorful perennials or lilacs.
When the laburnum goes to seed, you will find many small new plants on the ground, which then make the entire bush even larger and more impressive. The many small trees are also a sign of its frugality, so you don't have to do much to propagate it. If propagation alone is not desired, it is advisable to cut off the dried flower clusters in good time. The side effect of this is an even more magnificent bloom in the new year.
What everyone should definitely know about laburnum, especially when small children are playing in the garden, is the fact that all parts of the plant are very poisonous! Special caution is required and the plant parts should not be put in the mouth. It is also important to wash your hands if you have touched the plant. The poisonous parts of the laburnum can cause various symptoms of poisoning:
- These include: chills, sweats, dizziness and headaches.
- There is also a risk of paralysis and respiratory arrest following a stimulating effect on the central nervous system.
- Fatal poisonings are nevertheless very rare.
Nature has taken precautions. It has produced a beautiful, yellow-flowering shrub and at the same time protected it against enemies with poison. But all in all, the golden shower is really a feast for the eyes and can be planted safely.
