Styphnolobium japonicum pendula

A medium-large, deciduous tree with a spreading, round and weeping canopy. The weeping cultivar of Styphnolobium japonicum is considered to be more durable than the regular cultivar and more resistant to air pollution as well as requiring less water once established. It is relatively resistant to hot conditions and a lack of water, but it is sensitive to prolonged cold weather. The tree trunk is brown-gray. New branches and twigs come in olive green. The tree’s foliage is green and impressive until autumn. That is, the leaves do not change color before they fall (sometimes they turn somewhat yellow), so its fresh look lasts most of the year. The tree blooms at the end of the summer with small white flowers that are very fragrant and rather similar to sweet peas. The flowers fall from the tree nearly simultaneously and create a delicate white blanket beneath it. Note that the tree begins flowering only after about ten years, but the sight of the flowers at the ends of the branches is worth the relatively long wait. The tree’s fruits are delicate green pods that turn yellow and then brown in fall. The appearance of the pods is also handsome. The tree’s wood is considered to be very strong and is used to make various objects from wood. The tree’s green and beautiful foliage, its sculptural shape and its delicate and fragrant flowers make it a useful and attractive ornamental tree.

An interesting anecdote – the tree is considered to be one of the 50 most important plants in traditional Chinese medicine, and there are areas in China where it is customary to brew tea from its leaves and flowers.