Plants We Love: Japanese Pagoda Tree
Japanese pagoda tree (Sophora japonica ‘Pendula’) is a small to medium ornamental tree with a weeping habit and feathery leaves. It adds soft structure and elegance to the garden.
Plant name: Japanese pagoda tree, weeping scholar tree, weeping Chinese scholar tree
Botanical name: Sophora japonica ‘Pendula’
Virtues: A small to medium ornamental tree with a beautiful weeping habit. Cascading, sometimes twisted branches add grace to the garden and soft movement as the wind blows.
Foliage: 10-inch-long green leaves are made up of 7 to 17 small oval leaflets, giving the tree a feathery look. Leaves turn yellow in fall then drop.
Habit: Weeping. 15 to 25 feet tall and wide.
Season: Year-round for structure; spring through fall for foliage.
Origin: China and Korea
Cultivation: Does best in rich well-drained sandy soil with medium water and full sun. Tolerates partial shade, heat and some drought. A good urban tree, able to withstand pollutants and city conditions. The straight species Sophora japonica will flower, but this weeping cultivar very rarely does. USDA Zones 4–8.
Image credit: Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
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Are you looking for more information about trees for your landscape? Or do you just love ornamental shrubs? If so, check out Trees, Shrubs & Hedges for Your Home ,The Homeowner's Complete Tree & Shrub Handbook, and Container Topiary