The pic shows a Laburnum. If that's the tree you mean, it's a nice small tree but with poisoning risks for small children (the seed pods look like small pea pods but are very poisonous). No pruning required. Can be fairly short-lived, and often slowly leans over until the trunk is nearly horizontal.

Resin

Does not work for hot climates but great in cooler climes.

i bought a golden chain tree last year. it is approx. 8 feet tall. it is beginning to leaf out now and there are multitudes of flower buds on it. i have it in a spot that gets about 5-6 hours of sun. the only problem i had was a probable leaf fungal disease last year but i sprayed the tree and have not noticed its reappearance thus far. my tree does not lean as the other post suggested. this is only my sercond year with this tree so i cant commnt any further. it is a beautiful flowering tree.

My golden chain was a picture to behold for three years. About nine feet tall, and the talk of the neigborhood when in flower. Just beautiful.

Then,..I got the bright idea one spring to weed and feed my lawn where the golden chain tree was. After applying the weed and feed, the very next day, my golden chain tree was dead! I couldn't believe how fast the tree reacted to the chemicals I put on the lawn, and under the tree.

If you add chemicals to your lawn, do not go near the root system of any of your yard trees, espicially the golden chain tree.

Anyone know where to get one here in the Northeast. I would even consider mail order if anyone knows of one.

Apologies if this is a duplicate. Landscapers planted a GCT on north side of house, in shade and it is now about 8-10 feet tall and lovely in spring. But every summer in our hot, hot 100+ days, it gets stressed and then gets aphids. This past year, likely due to an undetected water leak and inadvertent overwatering it got tiny caterpillers and the leaves turned lacy. We used Safer and stopped the problem and will use Sevin-5 at the suggestion of nursery. But it is stressed. Can we save it? What can we do to care better for it? thanks

Foliage not an attribute anyway. Flowers are the thing. Green bark of young branches can be nice in winter, but basically a One Note Wonder.

Be aware of the reputed toxicity of the seeds, supposedly can be fatal to small children; don't know about pets.

It's a great tree. I planted a couple perhaps five years ago...they're beautiful when they bloom and the seed pods produce incredible amounts of young trees. I've easily transplanted 20-25 from the original two trees.

It grows fast and will probably bloom for you within 2-3 years. It certainly gets my vote as a great tree.

Mine is beautiful in bloom, but disregarded the rest of the year. The leaves die in the summer heat, leaving a bare tree. The foliage returns in the fall, then dies again for the winter. Mine leans as pineresin says, it's probably permantly staked, like the ones at Longwood Gardens. It was planted for me by the local 'nursery' owner,who recommended it years ago, and I never researched it. Someday a better tree will go there...

Isnt a Laburnum the Golden Rain tree(never heard of golden chain)

Laburnum x watereri is commonly referred to here as Goldenchain tree. Goldenrain tree is the common name for Koelreuteria paniculata.

Personally, I have never understood the appeal of the Laburnum. Outside of a couple of weeks of flowers, it is a pretty nondescript item with not much to say for itself and generally looks pretty ratty by midsummer, at least here. Rather weedy as well.

There are just so many other, far more attractive trees to chose from that I'd put this one well down on the list.

i kind of think the same of wisteria but the flowers are awesome. i prefer laburnum personally,and i've always known it as golden rain tree,its listed in all my books as such!

I used to have one - just to have one.

Not reliable, but entertaining.

I'd rather have a better tree, and get nice roses for yellow flowers.

just checked my Hillier tree guide and both Kohlreuteria and Laburnum are known as Golden Rain Tree. just goes to show you can't rely on common names!

Just call Laburnum "Laburnum" - that way you avoid any confusion!

Resin

yep you got that right pine- i tend to avoid common names as a rule and take pride in my innate ability to pronounce any scientific name-sad eh ;)

They are awesome when in bloom. Easily my favorite tree in our yard, when in bloom. Only problem is they are in bloom for 2-3 weeks in May. But Amazing while it lasts.

I live in Chester County, PA. Planted a Golden Chain (about 10' tall) last summer. This year, it bloomed a little in the spring but as the summer progressed, the leaves have become ratty, brown and look like they have a bug. It's on the NE side of the house so it gets sun until about 2 pm, is that too much sun? Or, is that what other posters mean when they say 'it isn't a good tree'?

Help! Why won't my Golden Chain Tree blossom? (I know it is a CGT because I bought it through a nursery catalogue) It is around 8 years old, around 15 feet tall, is in partial shade with direct sunlight around 3 hours a day, and is in a well drained spot. It leafs out beautifully every year, keeps its foliage, and shows no sign of disease. I am wondering if it needs another GCT to cross pollinate? They grow like crazy in Bar Harbour, ME which is only an hour away from where I live. If anyone has any ideas, I would so appreciate them! thanks! Audrae

My Golden Chain Tree (probably 4 years old) also hasn't blossomed this year. I bought it last spring from a nursery in Louisville in early May at a 50% discount due to a significant trunk injury the prior year; however it was in full bloom and made an excellent backdrop for prom pictures after planting one week later. We had a hot summer. I staked the tree (the injury seems to be healing), and pruned some dead branches just as it started to leaf out six weeks ago. However no prom picture backdrop this year as there are no blooms to be found. It was planted in good well-drained soil, wind shielded in partial shade.

After my weeping golden chain is done blooming and the flowers have all died out, do I need to remove the dead chains like you would a rodi? or do I just leave it alone and let it run its course?
There seems to be little pods now instead of the flowers.
Thank you