Laburnum Trees

Laburnum Hedge Plants / Saplings

Laburnum, Laburnum anagyroides, is a small tree with short strings of yellow flowers.

For an ornamental or screening tree, we recommend the long flowered variety Laburnum vossii 'Golden Rain'. 

General description of Laburnum plants:

This is a good tree for a small garden and it will grow almost anywhere. Mature Laburnums are draped in densely packed, foot-long hanging chains of yellow flowers in May and June. The flowers hang in bunches from a head of young leaves, creating a rippled lemon and lime effect. The flowers ripen into hard seed pods, which look like brown runner beans. All parts of the Laburnum are poisonous and bitter tasting. 

History & uses of Laburnum anagyroides:

Laburnums are native to Southern Europe and have been cultivated in Britain since the 1500s. Laburnum heartwood from old trees is valuable; it is very dark brown and in the past it was known as false ebony. The sapwood is pale and creamy, so woodworkers can use the two tones to create interestingly coloured objects.

Growing Laburnum plants:
You can grow your plants in any soil, apart from really wet places. Laburnums are a member of the pea family and their roots fix nitrogen into the soil, so they are the perfect tree for sites with poor fertility. They like chalky soil and mature trees are drought hardy. They are shade tolerant, but they need half a day of sun to flower really well.

Prepare your site before planting:
It is good to dig over the area where you plant a hedge several months in advance, especially if the soil is poor. Destroy the weeds first: nettles, brambles and ground elder are tough and Neudorff WeedFree Plus weed-killer is the best way to remove them. Then dig the soil over; remove rocks, roots and other rubbish. Mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades. If your soil is rich, you don't have to dig it over, but killing all the weeds is still necessary.

Watch our video on how to plant a garden hedge for full details. The plants in this video are delivered pot-grown, but planting out bareroot stock is essentially the same.
Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting.

Hedge Planting Accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass with Neudorff WeedFree Plus.
You can buy a hedge planting pack with sheets of mulch fabric and pegs to hold it down.
If you are planting in an area with rabbit and/or deer, you will need to use a plastic spiral guard for each plant, supported by a bamboo cane.
If your soil quality is poor, we recommend using mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of new trees and shrubs.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser and Growmore.

After Care

After you have planted your Laburnum hedge, the most important thing to do is water it in dry weather. You will also need to weed around the plants. Watering should be thorough, so the ground is soaked. Let the soil almost dry out before watering again. Watering & weeding will be necessary for at least a year after planting.

Special notes on caring for Laburnum hedges:
Laburnum is a very tough hedge plant that shouldn't need special attention once it has established. If you didn't use a mulch fabric, it is beneficial to mulch around the base of the hedge each year.

Hygiene & Diseases:
Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears.
Disinfect your pruning tools between every cut if there is any sign of disease.
Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.