Laburnum anagyroides Yellow Rocket

Laburnum anagyroides Yellow Rocket is a variety of clustered laburnum or laburnum false ebony. This upright bush disappears in late spring under its long clusters of flowers, forming a narrow golden column. A sunny and delightfully fragrant flowering that attracts bees. This variety has elegant, deciduous, bright green pinnate foliage. Use it to add a touch of height to a small garden. You can also train it on a pergola or arch for a romantic effect.

Laburnum 'Yellow Rocket' is a British horticultural selection by Frank P Matthews. The species, the clustered laburnum, is native to mountainous regions of central and southern Europe. It is a deciduous shrub that thrives in sunny locations and is perfectly adapted to well-drained to dry, even chalky soils. It belongs to the fabaceae family, formerly known as legumes, just like wisteria.

Laburnum anagyroides 'Yellow Rocket' has an almost columnar, erect, and very narrow habit. Its growth is moderately fast: at the age of 15, it typically measures 4 m in height and 1 m in width. Like wisteria, it produces long, pendulous clusters of golden yellow, highly nectar-rich and fragrant flowers. These clusters can measure up to 30 cm in length and appear between May and early July depending on the region. They are followed by velvety brown, haired pods containing black seeds. The deciduous foliage is bright green, with hairy undersides, and composed of leaves divided into 3, 3 to 7 cm long ovate leaflets. Its smooth bark is green when young and cracks and turns grey with age.

Hardy to at least -15°C, Laburnum anagyroides 'Yellow Rocket' is not very demanding in terms of soil type and can grow in any well-drained soil, even poor and chalky. However, it does not tolerate winter waterlogging. Provide it with a sunny location for good flowering. To create a magical tableau, plant two specimens on either side of a path threshold. You can also install an arch and tie the branches to it: they will join together to form a graceful vault from which its clusters will cascade down. At their base, plant small bushes such as rockroses or ground cover roses.

Attention, all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, especially the seeds.