Styphnolobium japonicum | Family: Fabaceae

Natural History Spotlight: Chinese Scholar Tree or Japanese Pagoda Tree

Identification:

Leaves – Deciduous, alternate, though almost appears to be opposite from afar, compound with 7-17 green leaflets, leaf shape is lanceolate with an entire margin, greater than 6” long, turns gold and yellow in the fall.
Twigs – Young twigs are light green, but darken and become brown with age.

Fruit – Long pendant pea pods similar to beads on a string, often longer than 3” and about 1” wide, color changes from bright green to yellow-brown, persistent throughout the winter.

Flowers – White panicles that are 6-12”, pea-like with light fragrance,bloom in mid- to late- summer

Silvics:

The Chinese Scholar Tree is found on upland rocky mountain slopes in moist, well-drained soil in its natural habitat. Optimal light conditions include full sun to partial shade. Though native to China, it is commonly found in urban landscapes such as lawns and recreational areas. This species is highly tolerant of the urban environment and specifically does well when temperatures are higher than normal. The scholar tree is often selected for its resistance to heat, pollution, drought and grazing by deer.

Bark – Grayish-brown with some red beginning to show with age, the red color appears often in the furrows and ridges

Natural History:

The Chinese Scholar Tree is commonly used in landscaping because of its unique flowers, bright green leaves, and rounded shape. Landscapers favor this species especially in areas where high tolerance for pollution and heat is needed. Another beneficial trait is the extended length that Scholar Trees hold their leaves in the fall. Beyond general landscaping, the tree is often planted on Buddhist temple sites in Japan. The popularity of the species in Japan is the reason why the species name is japonicum and commonly referred to as the Japanese pagoda tree. The species has some presence in Chinese legends and is the official tree of Beijing, China. Despite the tree’s popularity, traditional folklore suggests that it is possible that the species was inhabited by demons. The most notable appearance of the Chinese scholar tree in historical records is through the death of the final emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who was said to have spent his final moments at the tree.

Though the pods and seeds grown on the tree are poisonous if ingested, both the buds and the flowers are used for medicinal purposes in traditional Chinese medicine. The buds are used for natural dyes and produce a yellow color. The buds also have an astringent quality. Though research has shown that compounds in the leaves, buds, and branches appear to be anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant, there has been little investigation into the safety of the Chinese Scholar Tree for medicinal uses. In traditional Chinese medicine, an extract from the buds has been administered orally to treat ailments such as hemorrhoids, hemorrhage, conjunctivitis, hypertension, and dizziness. As far as is known, the first documented use of the species was about 2000 years ago in a prominent Chinese medical text and was denoted as being particularly significant.

References:

Images: Courtesy of Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

He, Xirui, et al.“Local and traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Sophora japonica L.: A review”. ScienceDirect. 2016; 187: 160-182 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874116302057

SUNY Orange. “1. Japanese Pagoda Tree Removed”. Orange County Community College. c2023. https://sunyorange.edu/inttreetour/sophora_japonica.html#:~:text=Despite%20its%20name%20the%20tree,classification%20as%20a%20Japanese%20tree.

NC State Extension. “Styphnolobium japonicum”. North Carolina Extension Gardner Plant Toolbox. Retrieved November 30, 2023 from: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/styphnolobium-japonicum/