Styphnolobium japonicum
Pagodatree, Scholar-tree
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
50-75' tall & wide. Upright-spreading to broad-rounded habit. Medium to fast growth rate.
Native Range
Native to China & Korea, but not Japan, although it was often used around ancient Buddhist temples in Japan. Introduced into cultivation in 1747.
Flower and Fruit Details
Blooms in July-August, 12-14" long & wide panicles of perfect, fragrant, creamy-white, pea-like flowers, very showy. High summer heat & warm summer nights may foster earlier flowering, which normally may not occur until the tree is 10-14 years of age. Fruits are knobby, bean-like 3-8" pods, 3-10 seeded, constricted between each seed, resembling the old-fashioned "pop-bead" necklaces, green changing to yellow, then yellow-brown, produced in October & persisting, sometimes all winter.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, 6-10" long, w/ 7-17 leaflets, each 1-2" long, ovate to lance-ovate, glossy green on top, w/ entire margin, acute at tip, glaucous beneath & finely pubescent. Little fall color; sometimes yellow. 1-5 year-old twigs are green w/ gray lenticels and swollen nodes. Older bark is pale grayish-brown, resembling the texture of black locust… deeply furrowed w/ scaly ridges.
Culture and Care
Needs full sun to part shade. Tolerant of heat, drought, urban conditions & pollution once established. Prefers loamy, well-drained soils, but is quite adaptable, & actually does well on poor soil areas. Zone 4-7. No serious insect or disease problems. Canker, twig blight, powdery mildew, rust & leaf hoppers care possible problems.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
3-season interest: Spring, summer & fall. Formerly known as Sophora japonica. This is the last of the large ornamental trees to flower in the north. Best performance is in Zones 5-6. A yellow dye can be extracted from the flowers by baking them until brown, then boiling them in water.
Suggested Uses
Good shade and ornamental tree for lawns, parks, golf courses, poor soil areas, polluted locations, & urban conditions. Possible street tree, but could become a litter problem if too close to street, once flowering begins around age 10-14.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Styphnolobium japonicum 'Boone Gardiner's Weeping' // Weeping Scholar Tree (improved from pendula)
Tree. Weeping, pendulous growth habit. Seldom produces flowers or fruits, so not a litter problem. An interesting formal specimen or accent plant. Often grafted up on a standard. Will grow 15-25' high.
BT001332 - BT001333 - BT001334Styphnolobium japonicum 'Princeton Cascade' // Princeton Japanese Pagodatree, Scholar-tree
Tree. gghnn
BT003505Styphnolobium japonicum 'Princeton Upright' // Princeton Upright Japanese Pagodatree, Scholar-tree
Tree. Similar to S.j. 'Regent', but more compact and strongly upright to upright-oval branching habit. Gets 40-50' tall and 30-35' wide, w/ a dense canopy. Selected by Princeton Nurseries in New Jersey. Zone 5-7. Needs full sun. Avoid wet, poorly drained sites. Has a very fast growth rate, twice as fast as seedling trees. Starts flowering early, at just 6-8 years of age. Flowers heavily. Adaptable & tolerant once established. Heat & drought-tolerant. Tolerates alkaline soil and air pollution. Good city tree. Somewhat weak-wooded, or w/ weak branch attachment angles, so is susceptible to damage from wind, ice & snow. Is used as a shade tree or specimen tree in home lawns & parks, in large parking lot islands, medium-sized tree lawns, & highway medians.
BT001979 - BT001986