With their numerous flowers, laburnums (bot. Laburnum) are among the most beautiful plants to be found in German gardens. Each inflorescence can bear a multitude of golden yellow flowers that bloom for a long time and contrast sharply with the color of the foliage. Despite its toxicity, it is part of the landscape. If you have a laburnum in your garden, you often wonder when it will be in bloom.
heyday
When does laburnum bloom?
Laburnum species are plants of the same genus within the legume family (bot. Fabaceae) and originally come from southern and south-eastern Europe. Its hardiness makes it an excellent candidate for planting in Central Europe and for this reason laburnum was naturalized in the 16th century. In order to determine the direct flowering time of the genus, the three species must be compared with each other, since they do not all flower at the same time. This allows you to perfectly coordinate which species you want to bring into the garden.
Laburnum, Laburnum anagyroides
laburnum species
Laburnum (bot. Laburnum anagyroides)
- The flowering period of Laburnum anagyroides begins in the warmer regions of Germany, especially in the south and southwest in early or mid-April
- on average they bloom from the beginning or middle of May until June with their striking flowers
Alpine Laburnum (bot. Laburnum alpinum)
- In contrast to Laburnum anagyroides, Laburnum alpinum flowers about two weeks later, from mid-April or mid-May to June
- due to its origin south of the Alps, it is used to cooler temperatures, but for this reason it flowers later
Gold rain (bot. Laburnum watereri 'Vossii')
- this hybrid often boasts an even more profuse amount of flowers and presents them at the same time as Laburnum alpinum
- the warmer it is, the longer it will keep its blooms, sometimes as much as two weeks longer, until late June or early July
Many gardeners use the different flowering times of the laburnum species to provide their garden with the golden-yellow flower decoration over a long period of time. Since the species are almost identical in growth and can only be distinguished on the basis of a few characteristics, it is possible to place the laburnum species in the garden so that the flowers can be seen from the beginning of April to the end of June. While the common laburnum loses its flowers first, the alpine and noble laburnum are still in full bloom afterwards.
Tip: When keeping a laburnum, be sure to pay attention to proper care and their toxicity. If the plant is unnecessarily stressed in its growth, there may be a failure of flowering during the year, which means you have to wait a year longer until the next opportunity.
Laburnum, Laburnum anagyroides
bud rot
Only bloom when they are older
Many laburnum owners who grow the plant themselves from seeds wonder for the first few years whether the plant is doing well. The reason for this is the bud rot that is typical of Laburnum. A possible flowering can only be expected after five years, often even after eight to ten years, since the laburnum first has to establish itself in the garden in order to bloom. If you want to get the appealing tree in your own garden, you should do this with a cutting or a potted plant that has been brought forward. These often flower after just four years, as they are formed earlier than freshly grown young plants.
Tip: The older the specimen that you purchase for your garden, the faster you can expect flowering. Rarely are mature plants offered, which you can easily enjoy in summer with their abundance of flowers.
Laburnum, Laburnum anagyroides
risk of confusion
Risk of confusion: heyday of the Indian laburnum
If you decide on a laburnum species, you must be careful not to confuse the correct Laburnum species with the snail cassia (bot. Cassia fistula). This is often referred to as Indian laburnum because of the extremely similar flowers, but the care, location and even the flowering time differ greatly from each other. The tubular cassia is a tropical plant that is not hardy. For this reason, the flowering time of this "laburnum" differs significantly from the other species.
- Flowering time in Central Europe from July
- Flowering time in the tropics as early as May
The cooler it is in your region, for example near the Alps or in the Ore Mountains, the greater the likelihood that the plant in the garden will not bloom at all. Then the tree should be kept in a tub in the conservatory so that it stays warm enough and can sprout flowers.