Styphnolobium japonicum: Uses (Ethnobotany)
A yellow dye can be obtained from the flower buds. Ancient Japanese prints used this dye.
Plant Profile: Styphnolobium japonicum
Taxonomy: Styphnolobium japonicumNames
Chinese Scholar Tree, Japanese Pagoda, Japanese Pagoda Tree
Phonetic Spelling:styf-noh-LOH-bee-um juh-PON-ih-kum
Genus:Styphnolobium
Species:japonicum
Family:Fabaceae
This striking flowering tree belongs to the pea family. It offers light shade and is resilient against heat, air pollution, and drought. As a leguminous plant, it serves as an excellent choice for streets, parks, or lawns.
Quick Identification
Formerly referred to as Sophora japonica.
Styphnolobium japonicum Feature Summary
Styphnolobium japonicum Image Gallery
Tags
#fragrant
#showy flowers
#deciduous
#fall color
#shade tree
#fragrant flowers
#heat tolerant
#large tree
#flowering tree
#air pollution tolerant
#street tree
#playground
#dye plant
#children's garden
#pollinator plant
#fantz
#parks
#lawns
Similar Plants
Styphnolobium japonicum is often confused with:
Styphnolobium japonicum Feature Summary
Attributes
A yellow dye can be obtained from the flower buds. Ancient Japanese prints used this dye.
China and Korea
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Attracts Pollinators
Shade
Fruit
3"-8" long legume pod, pendulous
Legume
Red/Burgundy
> 3 inches
Flowers
Creamy white and lightly fragrant 6"-12" long terminal panicles that appear in mid to late summer. They are small, axillary, dull-white, male and female on different plants.
White
Cream/Tan
Panicle
Fragrant
Spring
Summer
Leaves
Alternate pinnately compound 6"-10" long. Leaflets are ovate to lanceolate, 1"-2" long entire margins, rounded base acute axpex. The fall color is yellow.
Deciduous
Green
Gold/Yellow
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Alternate
Ovate
Lanceolate
Entire
> 6 inches
Bark
Gray-brown developing into flat plates
Dark Gray
Dark Brown
Ridges
Round
Whole Plant Traits
Tree
Poisonous
Deciduous
Rounded
Erect
Spreading
Broad
Medium
Fine
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Moist
more than 60 feet
24-60 feet
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Stem
Landscape
Pollinator Garden
Children's Garden
Shade Tree
Pollution
Urban Conditions
Recreational Play Area
Lawn
Pollinators
Styphnolobium japonicum Image Gallery
Styphnolobium japonicum Attributes
Styphnolobium japonicum: Country Or Region Of Origin
China and Korea
Styphnolobium japonicum: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Styphnolobium japonicum Fruit
Styphnolobium japonicum: Fruit Description
3"-8" long legume pod, pendulous
Styphnolobium japonicum: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Styphnolobium japonicum: Fruit Color
Red/Burgundy
Styphnolobium japonicum: Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Styphnolobium japonicum: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Styphnolobium japonicum: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Styphnolobium japonicum Flowers
Styphnolobium japonicum: Flower Description
Creamy white and lightly fragrant 6"-12" long terminal panicles that appear in mid to late summer. They are small, axillary, dull-white, male and female on different plants.
Styphnolobium japonicum: Flower Color
Cream/Tan
White
Styphnolobium japonicum: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Styphnolobium japonicum: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Styphnolobium japonicum: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Styphnolobium japonicum Leaves
Styphnolobium japonicum: Leaf Description
Alternate pinnately compound 6"-10" long. Leaflets are ovate to lanceolate, 1"-2" long entire margins, rounded base acute axpex. The fall color is yellow.
Styphnolobium japonicum: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Styphnolobium japonicum: Leaf Color
Green
Styphnolobium japonicum: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color
Gold/Yellow
Styphnolobium japonicum: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Styphnolobium japonicum: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Styphnolobium japonicum: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Styphnolobium japonicum: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Styphnolobium japonicum: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Styphnolobium japonicum: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Styphnolobium japonicum Bark
Styphnolobium japonicum: Bark Description
Gray-brown developing into flat plates
Styphnolobium japonicum: Bark Color
Dark Brown
Dark Gray
Styphnolobium japonicum: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Styphnolobium japonicum: Bark Plate Shape
Diamond
Irregular
Oval
Rectangle
Round
Square
Styphnolobium japonicum Whole Plant Traits
Styphnolobium japonicum: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Styphnolobium japonicum: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Styphnolobium japonicum: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Styphnolobium japonicum: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Styphnolobium japonicum: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Styphnolobium japonicum Cultural Conditions
Styphnolobium japonicum: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Styphnolobium japonicum: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Styphnolobium japonicum: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Styphnolobium japonicum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Styphnolobium japonicum Stem
Styphnolobium japonicum: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Styphnolobium japonicum Landscape
Styphnolobium japonicum: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Styphnolobium japonicum: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Styphnolobium japonicum: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Styphnolobium japonicum: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Styphnolobium japonicum: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
