The Golden Chain Tree is a small, deciduous, flowering tree or large shrub in the bean family that grows to 30 feet tall, with an equal spread, at maturity. It has smooth bark, dark green spreading branches and pendulous and pubescent twigs. The leaves are generally trifoliate and oval with long petioles, smooth on the upper side and hairy on the underside. The pea-like, fragrant, yellow flowers bloom during May and June. The genus name is the Latin name. The species name means resembling the genus Anagyris . Golden Chain Tree does best in organically rich, medium moisture, well drained soil in full sun, but does tolerate partial shade. The tree does not do well in the heat and humidity of the deep South (south of USDA Zone 7) and prefers climates where both summer and winter temperature are moderate. Golden Chain Tree can be pruned to shape as a flowering hedge. If you are forming it as a small tree, remove root suckers as they appear. Also remove the seedpods as they are not ornamental and are poisonous. Wear gloves when working with this plant. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Twig blight is an infrequent but serious disease. Canker and leaf spot can be problems. Watch for aphids and mealybugs.The tree is short-lived and does not tolerate heat. Full drainage is especially important.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12-24 feet; 24-60 feet
Mature size
Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Open
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are alternate, long-stalked with 3 leaflets 1 to 3 inches long. It has insignificant fall color.
Fall color
Insignificant
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
Flowers are pea-like, golden, in long drooping clusters 6 to 10 inches long. Golden Chain Tree blooms are pea-like, yellow flowers densely packed in pendulous racemes 4 to 10 inches long. The flowers are sweet-scented.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Black
Fruit type
Legume
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit detail
The fruit is a long, flattened pod that splits open when ripe. The seeds are legumes with a large numbers of black seeds that contain cytisine, an alkaloid extremely poisonous to humans as well as goats and horses, especially when not ripe.
Bark color
Light Brown
Bark detail
The bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Sparsely branched and often loses lower branches.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Central and Southeastern Europe
Distribution
Britain, India, South America, New Zealand
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Seeds
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Legume
Edibility
The seeds are extremely poisonous to humans as well as goats and horses, especially when not ripe.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Wood is coarse grained, durable, and very hard. It can be used as an ebony substitute, and is used in making instruments and furniture where strength and smoothness are important.
All parts of the tree are poisonous: roots, bark, wood, leaves, flower-buds, petals, and seedpods. The harmful part of the plant is the seedpods. In many cases of ingestion of a small number of seeds, there are no symptoms. Where symptoms do occur these are usually nausea and vomiting. Higher doses can produce intense sleepiness, convulsive possibly tetanic movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils. Nervousness, stomach and intestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; irregular pulse, convulsions, coma. HIGHLY TOXIC MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!